Net metering
Definition. Net metering is the NEPRA-regulated arrangement under which a consumer with rooftop generation exports surplus electricity to the distribution network and receives credit against the units they import, settled on a bidirectional meter.
Also called: Net billing · Solar net metering · نیٹ میٹرنگ
Where you see it: On a net-metered bill as separate import and export figures, with the netted position carried forward.
Units in, units out
The bidirectional meter keeps two registers. Import counts what you drew from the network; export counts what you pushed back. The bill settles the difference.
Because solar generates in the middle of the day and households consume most in the evening, a large share of generation is exported and re-imported later rather than used directly. Net metering is what makes that economically neutral.
Banking and settlement
Surplus export in a month is credited and carried forward against future import. The credit accumulates through the long-day months and is drawn down in winter, which is why annual rather than monthly performance is the right way to judge a system.
Whether the credit is settled in units or in rupees, and at what price, is set by the applicable NEPRA regulations and has been the subject of revision — the terms in force at the date of your agreement are the ones that matter.
What the application needs
A licence application to the DISCO, an inspection, an approved inverter with anti-islanding protection, and a system size within the cap tied to your sanctioned load. Extending sanctioned load first is a common prerequisite.
The bidirectional meter is installed by the DISCO, and the connection is not legal to energise for export before it is.
Frequently asked questions
Can I install solar without net metering?
Yes, as an off-grid or hybrid system that does not export. You lose the ability to bank surplus, so system sizing has to match daytime consumption much more closely to avoid wasting generation.
Does net metering eliminate my bill entirely?
It can eliminate the energy charge in a good month, but fixed charges, meter rent and the television fee are not consumption-linked and continue regardless.
Related terms
- Bidirectional meter — What a bidirectional meter records, how it differs from a reversed ordinary meter, and how to check that yours is registering export correctly.
- Sanctioned load — The difference between connected and sanctioned load, what happens when you exceed the sanctioned figure, and how to apply to change it in either direction.
- Smart meter — What Pakistan's AMI rollout changes for a consumer, what a smart meter can and cannot do, and whether smart meters really produce higher bills.
Go further
Back to the full 44-term glossary, or open your own bill with the reference number lookup.