In February 2026, NEPRA changed the rules for rooftop solar. The old system, called net metering, is gone for new connections. A new system, called net billing, has taken its place.
If those two words sound almost the same, you are not alone. But the difference between them is huge, and it changes how much money your solar system can save you. Let’s break it down in plain language.
Net Metering: The Old Deal
Net metering was simple, and it was generous.
Every unit of power your panels sent to the grid was worth the same as a unit you pulled back. One out, one in. They cancelled each other.
So the grid worked like a free bank for your power. You made extra during the day, “deposited” it into the grid, and “withdrew” it at night at no extra cost. At the end of the month, you only paid for the difference. Many people got their bills down to almost nothing.
This system started in 2015. For ten years, it was the heart of the rooftop solar pitch in Pakistan.
Net Billing: The New Deal
Net billing breaks the one-to-one trade. Now the power you sell and the power you buy have two very different prices.
- Power you buy from the grid: charged at the full retail rate. That runs from about Rs40 to Rs65 per unit, depending on your area and your usage.
- Power you sell to the grid: A new, lower buyback rate that sits somewhere around Rs8 to Rs11 per unit.
So you now sell low and buy high on your own power. A unit you export earns you a small amount. The same unit, bought back at night, costs you four to six times more.
That gap is the entire change. Everything else flows from it.
The Other Changes You Should Know
The buyback rate gets the headlines, but a few more things changed under the Prosumer Regulations 2026:
- You now require licensing for all system sizes, even small home setups. The free, no-paperwork days are over.
- There’s a new fee of Rs1,000 per kW of system size.
- Contracts are now shorter, five years for new connections, down from seven.
- System size is capped at your sanctioned load, up to a maximum of 1 MW.
None of these is a deal-breaker. But they do mean a new solar system needs to be planned more carefully than before.
Are You Affected? It Depends On Your Dates
This is the part that calms a lot of nerves:
- If you signed a net metering agreement before 9 February 2026, you are grandfathered in. Your old rate of around Rs25.32 per unit holds until your contract expires. After PM-level intervention, NEPRA confirmed that existing users keep their terms.
- If you applied before 8 February 2026 and are still waiting, your application is being processed under the old policy. Over 5,000 such applications were confirmed for the old rules.
- If you apply now, you will fall fully under net billing.
So if you already have solar under the old system, take a breath. Nothing changes for you yet. The new rules are about what happens next for new systems and for everyone when their current contract ends.
What This Means For Your Savings
Here is the bottom line. Under net metering, the smart move was to build big and export everything. Under net billing, exporting barely pays. The smart move now is the opposite: use as much of your own power as you can, and store the rest for later.
That one shift changes how you should design a solar system in 2026. It moves the value away from the grid and back into your own home. And it makes one piece of equipment more important than it has ever been: the battery.
A battery lets you save your cheap daytime power and use it in the expensive evening hours, instead of selling it for a few rupees and buying it back for many. That’s the new game. We explain exactly how it works and what it’s worth in our guide on [why your solar system now needs a battery].
The Bottom Line
Net metering rewards you for making power. Net billing rewards you for using your own power. The rules didn’t kill solar; they moved the prize. The owners who understand that and build on quality equipment with proper storage will keep saving for years. The ones who stick to the old export model will be let down.
Planning a new system under the new rules, or thinking about adding storage?
Talk to Voltaic Power about a storage-led design built on genuine Sungrow batteries and inverters, backed by our own warranty and local support. Call 021 111 111 484 or WhatsApp 0300 4042 0800.
