Consumers who have installed solar systems at their homes to avoid high electricity bills in Pakistan are also now under serious ‘threat’ as the country’s electricity supply regulator, NEPRA, is going to amend its rules in such a way that the users supplying power to WAPDA through net meter would likely suffer a loss of up to 20% while some consumers may now have to pay the bill.
According to the details, a number of consumers have written to the registrar of the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) to register their protest against the proposed amendment to its rules, calling it a discouragement to solar energy in the country. A loss of up to D may occur while some consumers may still have to pay the bill.
The Pakistan Solar Association has also expressed its reservations over the notice issued by NEPRA last month, according to which the electricity supply companies will now buy the electricity supplied from the homes of solar consumers at a lower price.
Notably, a notification was issued by NEPRA on August 24 which was also published in newspapers. The notification essentially states that NEPRA is amending the Renewable Energy Rules i.e. Distributed Generation and Net Metering Regulation, 2015 under which solar consumers will now be charged the national average price of electricity instead of the national average price of energy per unit.
The authority has sought public feedback on it within 30 days, after which NEPRA will finalize the drafting the law.
Waqas Musa, a member of the executive committee of Pakistan Solar Association revealed that with the new amendment, consumers who generate electricity from solar panels will face difficulties because the price of electricity generated by them will be reduced by 10 to 20 percent.