Net Metering Delays: Power Minister Sets June 1 Deadline for DISCOs

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Power and Energy Awais Leghari has taken strict notice of the ongoing delays in processing net metering connections, ARY News reported.

According to sources, the Energy Minister has directed all power distribution companies (DISCOs) to fast-track the provision of net metering connections.

He has also decided to penalize DISCOs that deliberately delay the process.

During a briefing, the Minister was informed that as many as 1,355 net metering connections are currently pending across various DISCOs.

Furthermore, transformers have not been properly tagged with net metering consumers, leading to the rejection of several applications.

The briefing also highlighted that the time taken to resolve these issues significantly exceeds the limit fixed by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA).

Expressing deep concern over the slow pace of installations, the Minister has directed all DISCOs to clear the backlog and install the remaining net metering connections by June 1.

Minister Leghari explicitly stated that administrative action will be taken against the Superintending Engineers (SEs), Executive Engineers (XENs), and Sub-Divisional Officers (SDOs) of the worst-performing DISCOs.

He warned that officers who fail to improve their performance will have their bonuses withheld.

Earlier, t he National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has amended the Solar Regulations 2026 and issued a fresh notification regarding net metering.

According to the notification, no changes will be made to the existing agreements of current solar net metering consumers. It states that the licenses of already registered solar users will remain valid until their expiry, and billing for these consumers will continue under the terms of their previous agreements.

The notification further clarifies that if any consumer makes changes to their solar capacity, they will not be entitled to the earlier rates. The revised regulations will come into effect from February 9, 2026.

NEPRA had earlier abolished the “unit-for-unit” system for net metering users, introducing changes in the billing mechanism for solar energy consumers.

Also Read: Major update for applicants of PM Free Solar Scheme

On February 11, 2026, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took notice of the new regulations issued by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) concerning solar energy.

Chairing a special meeting on the matter, the Prime Minister directed the Power Division to file a review appeal with NEPRA to ensure the protection of existing contracts of solar consumers. He emphasised that all possible measures must be taken to safeguard the rights of current solar users.

The Prime Minister further stated that the burden of 466,000 solar consumers should not be shifted onto more than 37.6 million other electricity users. He instructed the Power Division to formulate a comprehensive strategy addressing the issue.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Ahad Cheema, Atta Tarar, Ali Pervaiz Malik, Awais Leghari and other senior officials.