Regulation
Net billing explained: 2026 NEPRA export rates vs import costs
For years, rooftop solar in Pakistan ran on 1:1 net metering. That era is ending. Here’s what net billing actually means for your payback.
The old deal: net metering
Under net metering, every unit you exported to the grid cancelled a unit you later imported, at the same retail tariff. Effectively a 1:1 energy swap. Generous, simple, and a big reason early adopters saw fast paybacks.
The 2026 deal: net billing
Net billing decouples the two sides. You now pay the retail import tariff (around PKR 55/unit, including surcharges and slab taxes) for grid energy, and you’re separately paid the NEPRA National Average Energy Purchase Price (NAEPP), around PKR 11/unit, for what you export.
A unit you consume yourself is worth ~PKR 55. The same unit exported earns ~PKR 11. Self-consumption is roughly 5x more valuable than export.
What this changes in system design
The optimisation goal flips. Instead of oversizing to export as much as possible, you size to your load and add storage so daytime surplus is used in the evening, capturing the full import rate instead of selling low. That’s why S3 designs battery-backed hybrid systems by default.
| Unit of energy | Net metering | Net billing 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Self-consumed | ~PKR 55 | ~PKR 55 |
| Exported | ~PKR 55 | ~PKR 11 |
| Best strategy | Export freely | Self-consume + store |
Bottom line: solar is still an excellent investment under net billing, but only if the system is designed for the new rules. Model your own numbers in the savings calculator.