If you've been researching solar in Pakistan lately, you've probably run into two very different numbers for how much a DISCO pays for the electricity your panels send back to the grid. That's because the rules genuinely changed in February 2026, and a lot of the pricing pages and calculators floating around the internet still reflect the old system.

From net metering to net billing

For roughly a decade, Pakistan ran on a straightforward "net metering" model. Your bi-directional meter simply ran backwards when you exported more than you used, and every unit you sent to the grid was credited at the same rate you'd otherwise pay to buy it — full retail price, one-for-one. That arrangement made oversized systems attractive, because surplus production during the day could offset consumption at night at full value.

In February 2026, NEPRA notified the Prosumer Regulations 2026, which replace that decade-old framework with "net billing." Under net billing, electricity you import from the grid is still billed at the normal retail tariff, but electricity you export is bought back separately at the National Average Energy Purchase Price — a much lower, regulator-set rate. Industry estimates have put the new buyback figure somewhere in the Rs. 8–11 per unit range, down from roughly Rs. 22–27 under the old system — a drop of more than half.

Who's affected, and who isn't

This is the part that caused the most confusion in the weeks after the announcement. The short version, as it stands: consumers with a net metering agreement already in place before the new regulations took effect are meant to keep their existing buyback rate for the remainder of their contract term. New applications submitted afterward fall under the new net billing rate instead, with a shorter standard agreement term than before.

This is a live policy area. There was public pushback after the initial notification, and NEPRA issued draft amendments shortly after to soften parts of the change for existing users. Treat any specific rupee figure — including the ones in this article — as indicative rather than final, and confirm the current buyback rate and application terms with your DISCO or NEPRA before signing anything.

What this actually changes for you

The headline takeaway isn't that solar stopped making sense — it's that the strategy shifted. Under the old rules, a bigger system that exported heavily during the day was almost always worth it, because export and import were valued the same. Under net billing, every unit you use directly still saves you the full retail rate, but every unit you export is worth roughly a third to a half as much. That makes a system sized to your actual daytime consumption — rather than the biggest one your roof can fit — the more financially sound choice going forward.

It also puts batteries in a different light. Storing your midday surplus to run your home in the evening, instead of exporting it for a low buyback rate, is now a more attractive way to capture value from a hybrid system.

Our take when we design your system

  • We size around your real load profile — pulled from your last several bills, not a rough guess — rather than defaulting to the largest system your roof allows.
  • For sites with meaningful daytime usage (offices, shops, homes with someone in during the day), we lean toward sizing closer to consumption rather than oversizing for export.
  • For sites that are empty during work hours, we talk through hybrid and battery options so more of your solar production gets used rather than sold back cheaply.
  • We handle the DISCO paperwork and bi-directional meter application either way, and we'll tell you plainly which regime your application falls under before you commit.

If you already have an older net metering agreement, nothing about your existing contract needs to change — but if you're planning an extension or a new connection, it's worth a conversation before you finalize a system size.