Solar Net Metering and Your MEPCO Bill: Import, Export, and Billing Explained

Solar customers often look at a low bill and ask, “How many units did my panels make?” That question is harder than it sounds because a solar connection can have several different measurements: electricity produced by the inverter, electricity used inside the home, electricity imported from the MEPCO grid, and electricity exported to the grid.

The bill normally focuses on the last two. Solar generation does not automatically cancel every unit consumed by the home, and a bidirectional meter does not mean that exported units are valued exactly like imported units. The applicable connection agreement, tariff, and NEPRA rules determine how the account is billed.

This guide uses “net metering” because that is the term many MEPCO customers use, but the current regulatory framework uses net billing language for prosumer billing. Solar rules can change, so check the latest notification before signing an agreement or making a financial decision.

The four energy figures to understand

Solar generation

This is the energy produced by the panels and recorded or estimated by the inverter and monitoring system. It is useful for judging system performance, but it is not necessarily the figure used directly on the MEPCO bill.

Self-consumption

When the panels are generating, appliances in the home may use that electricity immediately. This is self-consumption. It reduces the amount the home needs to import at that moment, but it may not appear as a separate line on the utility bill.

Import

Import is electricity supplied by the MEPCO grid to the premises. It commonly rises at night, during cloudy periods, or whenever the home’s demand is greater than the solar output. Under the 2026 prosumer regulations, kWh supplied by the licensee to the prosumer is billed according to the applicable tariff.

Export

Export is surplus electricity flowing from the premises into the grid. It occurs when solar output exceeds the home’s immediate demand and the system is authorised and connected for two-way operation. The current regulations provide for electricity supplied by the prosumer to the licensee to be billed at the national average energy purchase price, subject to the applicable rules and agreement.

These figures should not be added together. A 10 kW inverter display showing generation is not the same thing as 10 kWh exported to the grid. If the house uses the solar output immediately, it can produce energy without sending that energy through the bidirectional meter as export.

Net metering and net billing are not interchangeable

Older customer guides often describe net metering as a simple subtraction: imported units minus exported units equals the units on the bill. That description may not apply to every current or future prosumer arrangement.

NEPRA’s Prosumer Regulations, 2026 describe a net-billing arrangement in which:

• electricity supplied by the licensee is billed at the applicable consumer tariff;
• electricity supplied by the prosumer to the licensee is credited at the national average energy purchase price;
• if the billed value of exported kWh exceeds the billed value of imported kWh, the net billed amount is credited against the next billing cycle or paid by the licensee quarterly;
• the Authority may revise the export rate during the agreement, with the revised rate incorporated as provided in the regulations.

This means an export unit and an import unit are not automatically equal in rupee value. A customer who exports 200 kWh cannot assume that the bill will simply subtract 200 units at the home’s retail tariff. Read the agreement and the current regulatory text that apply to the connection.

The transition from older arrangements is particularly important. A customer with a pre-existing agreement should not cancel, renew, expand, or alter the system based on a general internet explanation. Ask MEPCO how the proposed change affects the existing agreement, meter, export credit, and billing treatment.

How to read a solar MEPCO bill

Start with the bill month and reading dates. Then locate the import and export readings, if both are printed. A typical review asks:

1. What was the previous import reading?
2. What is the current import reading?
3. What was the previous export reading?
4. What is the current export reading?
5. Do the differences match the billed import and export units?
6. Which tariff or credit rate is shown?
7. Are there taxes, surcharges, adjustments, arrears, or late-payment entries?

The meter may show more than two registers. It can cycle through import kWh, export kWh, total energy, peak/off-peak values, voltage, or status codes. Use the register labels and the bill, not just the first number visible on the display.

If the meter readings look plausible but the payable amount is unexpected, inspect the monetary lines. A solar credit may offset part of the energy charge while taxes, fixed charges, or previous balances remain. If import and export units are correct but the credited rate appears wrong, the issue is a billing-rule or agreement question rather than a panel-performance question.

A simple example without guessing a rate

Imagine that a home imports 420 kWh during a month and exports 280 kWh. Its panels may have generated much more than 280 kWh, because some generation was consumed directly in the home. Under a net-billing structure, the 420 imported kWh are valued under the applicable tariff, while the 280 exported kWh receive the applicable export credit. The final bill is the difference between those values plus or minus other bill components—not necessarily a bill for 140 retail-rate units.

Now consider a sunny month with 180 kWh of imports and 350 kWh of exports. The export value may exceed the import value. The regulations provide for the net billed amount to be credited against the next billing cycle or paid quarterly, subject to the governing rules and agreement. A customer should check whether the bill shows a credit balance, a carry-forward entry, or a payment process.

These examples explain the mechanism without quoting a rate that may change. Use the current NEPRA notification, MEPCO billing record, and signed agreement for rupee calculations.

Why a solar bill can still be payable

Solar panels do not guarantee a zero bill. Common reasons include:

• the home imports electricity at night when panels are not producing;
• air-conditioners, pumps, or other loads exceed solar output;
• the system is shaded, dirty, damaged, or producing below expectation;
• the bidirectional meter recorded a different import/export balance;
• the export credit is valued under a different rate from imported electricity;
• taxes, surcharges, fixed charges, or periodic adjustments remain payable;
• an arrear, late-payment charge, or previous correction appears on the account;
• the system or agreement was not fully approved for the billing period.

The right diagnostic order is meter first, inverter second, bill lines third, and agreement or application status fourth. A monitoring app can show generation, but it cannot by itself prove what MEPCO recorded or credited.

Solar usage habits that improve the economics

Using solar electricity directly during daylight can be valuable because it reduces grid import before any export calculation occurs. Schedule flexible daytime loads such as water pumping, washing, and some workshop activity when the panels are producing, provided the appliance and wiring are safe. Batteries can move solar energy into the evening, but their cost, efficiency, maintenance, and replacement cycle should be included in any financial estimate.

Do not run an appliance merely to “use up” solar output. Measure the actual load, avoid unnecessary operation, and keep the inverter and panels maintained. A shaded or dirty array can reduce both self-consumption and export. Ask a qualified installer to inspect wiring, protection, earthing, and inverter settings rather than changing grid-connected equipment yourself.

Applying for or changing a MEPCO solar connection

Use MEPCO’s published net-metering material and the current PITC/NEPRA process for the relevant application. MEPCO maintains a net-metering information page with application forms, checklists, SOP material, and information about the export-unit payment procedure. PITC’s national portal also lists MEPCO among the distribution companies served for net-billing-related applications and connection processes.

The exact technical and administrative requirements can depend on the connection, system, meter, agreement, and available network capacity. Do not rely on an installer’s verbal promise that approval is automatic or that a particular credit rate is guaranteed forever. Obtain the official application status, agreement terms, meter requirements, and expected billing treatment in writing.

Never connect a solar inverter to the MEPCO network without the required approvals and protection equipment. An unauthorised backfeed can endanger workers, damage equipment, and expose the consumer to disconnection or other action. A solar system designed for backup operation is not automatically authorised for parallel operation with the grid.

What to do when import, export, or credit is wrong

Save the bill, photograph the meter display, and export the inverter’s monthly report if available. Include the dates, meter number, reference number, current and previous import/export readings, and any recent meter or inverter work. Record whether the premises experienced a long outage, meter replacement, or change in sanctioned load.

Contact MEPCO customer service or register a PITC complaint with a precise request: “Please verify the bidirectional meter readings and export credit for bill month _.” If the dispute concerns an agreement or application, attach the relevant approval or correspondence. Ask for the complaint number and keep proof of any payment.

If MEPCO does not resolve the billing issue, use the available NEPRA consumer complaint route with the MEPCO complaint record and supporting evidence. Do not remove seals, alter the meter, or ask an unofficial agent to adjust export units. A meter investigation needs an intact, documented installation.

Frequently asked questions

Is net metering still the same as it was a few years ago?

Not necessarily. The 2026 Prosumer Regulations describe a net-billing arrangement with separate valuation for imported and exported electricity. Existing agreements and later amendments may have specific treatment, so check the current rules and your agreement.

Why is my inverter generation higher than the export units?

The home may be consuming much of the solar generation directly during daylight. Generation, self-consumption, and export are different measurements.

Does one exported unit cancel one imported unit?

Do not assume that. Under the current net-billing description, imported kWh are billed at the applicable tariff while exported kWh are credited at the national average energy purchase price.

Why do I still have taxes or charges after solar credit?

The credit may apply to the energy valuation, while taxes, surcharges, fixed charges, adjustments, arrears, or late-payment entries remain under the applicable bill rules.

Can I install a battery and stop importing at night?

A battery can reduce night-time grid use, but capacity, charging losses, backup settings, cost, and safety matter. Grid-connected equipment still needs to comply with the authorised installation and protection requirements.

What evidence should I keep for a solar billing complaint?

Keep the bill, meter photographs, import/export readings, inverter report, agreement or approval, reference number, and the complaint receipt. Record the exact bill month and the correction requested.

Editorial source notes

• NEPRA, Prosumer Regulations, 2026, metering and billing provisions: https://www.nepra.org.pk/Admission%20Notices/2025/12%20Dec/NEPRA%20Prosumer%20Regulations.pdf
• NEPRA news listing for notification of Prosumer Regulations, 2026 and subsequent amendments: https://www.nepra.org.pk/news.php/Legislation/3-Reg/3.35%2520NEPRA%2520%2520Prosumer%2520Regulations%25202026/tariff/Tariff/Admission%2520Notices/2025/07%2520Jul/Admission%20Notices/2025/12%20Dec/2.jpeg
• MEPCO, Net Metering MEPCO resources: https://www.mepco.com.pk/net-metering-mepco
• MEPCO, SOP Net Metering: https://mepco.com.pk/sop-net-metering
• PITC Net Billing Portal: https://nmp.pitc.com.pk/
• PITC Customer Complaint Management System: https://ccms.pitc.com.pk/complaint