NEPRA Prosumer Regulations 2026 Net Billing Calculator
Pakistan replaced net metering with net billing under the NEPRA Prosumer Regulations 2026 (SRO 251(I)/2026). This shows what it means for your bill — the new buyback rate, legacy vs new connections, and the new connection limits — for any DISCO.
1 Your DISCO & bill
Net-billing rules are national (set by NEPRA), but tariffs and slabs vary by DISCO — so enter your own tariff below from your bill for an accurate result.
Import tariffs commonly run ₨37–55/unit across slabs. The high import price is what still makes solar worthwhile under net billing.
2 Your connection
New connections: the National Average Energy Purchase Price, ~₨11/unit. Legacy connections keep their contracted rate (~₨25.9) until expiry.
Under net billing, exports earn little — so the winning move is using your own solar directly (a battery can push this to ~85%).
3 System
Indicative estimates only. NEPRA rates, contract terms and DISCO tariffs change by notification. On-grid systems give no load-shedding backup — add a battery (hybrid) for that. Confirm current terms with your DISCO before purchasing.
What the NEPRA Prosumer Regulations 2026 actually say
Existing vs new: valid agreements approved before 9 Feb 2026 keep their old rate until the contract expires. An April 2026 amendment (retrospective to 9 Feb) confirmed this protection — but a material modification such as expanding your system forfeits it.
New connection limits: a DISCO will not approve a new application if solar on your local distribution transformer has reached 80% of its rated capacity; system size is capped at your sanctioned load (1 MW maximum); there's a non-refundable concurrence fee of ₨1,000/kW; and systems of 250 kW+ require a load-flow study.
The takeaway: because export now pays far less than import, maximising self-consumption (and often a battery) matters more than ever. This is sometimes searched as "SRO 547" — the correct citation is SRO 251(I)/2026. Verify current figures with your DISCO.
NEPRA net billing: the 2026 Prosumer Regulations explained
If you're going solar in Pakistan in 2026, the rules that govern how you connect and get paid have changed, and understanding them is essential to estimating your real return. The shift from net metering to net billing under NEPRA's Prosumer Regulations changes the value of exported power and adds new connection conditions. This calculator and guide lay out what changed, what it means for your bill, and how to size and use a system sensibly under the new framework — with the correct regulatory citation, since the change has been widely mis-referenced online.
Net metering vs net billing — the core change
Under the previous net-metering regime, exported units were credited at close to the retail tariff, so a unit you sent to the grid was worth almost as much as one you used. Under net billing, exports are bought back at a lower rate (well below the import tariff) while you continue paying the full tariff for grid power you consume. This breaks the old one-to-one value and means surplus sent to the grid now earns considerably less. The economic consequence is clear and consistent with what's happened in California, the UK and Germany: self-consumption becomes far more valuable than export, so the smart approach is to use as much of your solar as possible yourself — shifting loads into daylight or adding a battery — rather than oversizing for export.
Legacy agreements and material modification
An important protection: agreements validly approved before 9 February 2026 keep their old rate until the contract expires, and an April 2026 amendment (retrospective to 9 February) confirmed this. However, a material modification — most importantly, expanding your system — forfeits that protection and moves you onto net billing. So if you have a legacy system and are tempted to expand it, weigh the loss of your favourable net-metering terms against the benefit of the extra capacity; it may be better to leave a grandfathered system unchanged. The calculator lets you compare the legacy and new-rate cases.
Connection rules: the 80% cap and fees
The new regulations add connection conditions administered by your DISCO. A new application won't be approved if solar on your local distribution transformer has already reached 80% of its rated capacity; system size is capped at your sanctioned load (up to a 1 MW maximum); a non-refundable concurrence fee of around ₨1,000/kW applies; and systems of 250 kW or more require a load-flow study. These details can change, so confirm the current figures with your DISCO before committing. For a typical household, the practical implication is to size the system to your own load — which both fits within the rules and maximises the self-consumption that net billing rewards.
A note on the regulation's name
This change is correctly cited as SRO 251(I)/2026 under NEPRA's Prosumer Regulations. It's frequently mis-referenced online (for example as "SRO 547"), which causes confusion when people search for the rules. If you're verifying the details, look for the correct SRO number on NEPRA's official site, and treat the specific rates and slabs as dated figures to confirm with your DISCO, since they can be revised.
Frequently asked questions
It's the system under the 2026 Prosumer Regulations where you're paid a lower buyback rate for exported solar while paying the full tariff for grid power you use — replacing net metering, which credited exports near the retail rate. It makes self-consumption far more valuable than export.
Agreements validly approved before 9 February 2026 keep their terms until they expire, a protection confirmed by an April 2026 amendment. But a material modification, such as adding capacity, moves you to net billing. If you have a legacy system, consider whether expanding it is worth losing the better terms.
A DISCO won't approve a new solar application if installations on your local distribution transformer have reached 80% of its rated capacity. Alongside this, system size is capped at your sanctioned load, a per-kW concurrence fee applies, and large systems need a load-flow study. Confirm current rules with your DISCO.
The correct citation is SRO 251(I)/2026. "SRO 547" is a common mis-reference seen in online discussion. When verifying the rules, use the correct number on NEPRA's official site, and confirm specific rates with your DISCO as they may be updated.