Check the rules for your own connection and agreement before relying on export income.
- Self-consumptionSolar used at your property
- ImportElectricity drawn from the grid
- ExportSurplus sent to the grid
Start with the terms
Self-consumption is solar electricity used directly at your property. Imports are electricity drawn from the grid. Exports are surplus electricity delivered to it. Keeping these separate makes a feasibility report easier to understand.
Broadly, net metering offsets imports and exports under a defined arrangement, while net billing values exported energy separately from imported electricity. The exact accounting period, rates, charges, and contractual treatment depend on the applicable rules. These definitions are not a statement of your personal entitlement.
Why an old explanation may no longer apply
NEPRA lists the Prosumer Regulations, 2026, notified on 9 February 2026, together with subsequent amendments on its official legal page. The index includes amendments dated 28 April and 6 August 2026. Read the current documents together rather than relying on a screenshot of the original notification.
For an existing connection, keep your signed agreement, approval documents, meter records, and recent bills available. For a new application or a capacity change, ask the electricity distribution company to confirm the applicable procedure and terms in writing.
Ask for a transparent savings calculation
Ask the proposal to show estimated generation, daytime on-site use, exports, and remaining imports separately. It should identify the tariff and export valuation assumptions it uses, and the date those assumptions were checked. Charges that remain payable should not disappear from the estimate.
Request a second scenario with lower export value or lower daytime use. This is a sensitivity check, not a forecast of a policy change. It helps you see how dependent the proposal is on an assumption you cannot control.
Prepare for the connection discussion
Have your connection details, sanctioned load information, proposed equipment list, and any existing solar approvals ready. Ask which documents, inspections, fees, and approvals apply to your case. Do not assume approval or a fixed processing time simply because a neighbour has solar.
RENS can discuss the technical scope and the assumptions used in your feasibility report. The utility and regulator determine the applicable connection and billing terms. Use the official NEPRA legal page below to check for later updates before committing to an export-based calculation.
About this guide
RENS guides explain solar planning and the questions to ask before installation. General guidance and illustrative examples do not replace equipment instructions, current local rules or a site-specific design.
Spot something that needs updating? Email the RENS team with the guide title and the detail to check.
Sources & further reading
References supplied with this guide. Check the latest rules before making a decision. Overseas consumer guides explain general principles; Pakistan’s connection rules and your equipment instructions take precedence.
Make it specific to your site.
Bring your questions to a free site survey. We’ll discuss your needs and prepare a proposed solution with a feasibility report.
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