The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority has replaced net metering with a new net billing framework under the Prosumer Regulations 2026, triggering strong criticism from political leaders and energy experts across the country. Critics argue the move will discourage rooftop solar adoption and worsen inefficiencies in Pakistan’s already struggling power sector.
This decision weakens the economy to protect a broken system.
By terminating net-metering, slashing buyback rates, and retroactively shifting existing prosumers to net-billing, NEPRA has chosen to stabilise government finances by penalising households and SMEs that invested…
— Asad Ali Shah (@Asad_Ashah) February 10, 2026
Several political figures expressed concern that the policy penalises citizens for producing clean energy while protecting inefficient systems. Moreover, they warned that the decision undermines Pakistan’s climate commitments and discourages consumer-led energy solutions at a time when electricity costs remain historically high.
Read more : Rooftop solar boom to reshape Pakistan’s power use –
Energy analysts also pointed out that the pricing imbalance under net billing heavily favours the state over consumers. In addition, they noted that households will continue buying electricity at rates above Rs40 per unit, while selling surplus solar power at nearly Rs11 per unit.
The new prosumer rules issued by @NEPRA, will not only slow down the country’s #energytransition and contradict Pakistan’s #climate commitments, it will, quite literally, punish citizens for producing clean, affordable energy. And for investing in solarisation by trusting the… pic.twitter.com/6OQRSDbUFC
— SenatorSherryRehman (@sherryrehman) February 10, 2026
Experts further cautioned that the shift may accelerate off-grid solar adoption, reducing reliance on the national grid. Consequently, widespread battery usage could weaken utility revenues and make future investments in grid infrastructure less sustainable.
Read more : Pakistan’s Solar Revolution Deepens Punjab’s Thirst
Under the new rules, utilities will buy excess electricity at the national average purchase price instead of offering unit-for-unit compensation. Furthermore, the standard contract duration has been reduced from seven years to five, limiting long-term security for solar investors.
Finally, NEPRA notifies Prosumer Regulations 2026. Net-Metering exits, Net-Billing enters.
No winners. No losers. A long-standing anomaly has been addressed—albeit belatedly.
The present government has taken politically difficult decisions to remove distortions from the… pic.twitter.com/r7iczYgUXj
— Shahid Shafi Sial (@ShahidShafi_pk) February 9, 2026
Nepra has also introduced new technical and financial requirements, including system size limits, transformer capacity restrictions, and additional interconnection costs. Overall, critics believe the framework risks slowing Pakistan’s renewable transition while increasing financial pressure on consumers.