ISLAMABAD – Federal Minister for Energy Owais Leghari has called for an immediate and effective solution to the problems being faced for new net metering connections through an online portal.
He was chairing a meeting to review the provision of new net metering connections through the online portal.
In the meeting, the minister emphasized the need to make the application process simple, transparent, and user-friendly.
He said that practical demonstrations should also be conducted for the staff while an awareness programme should be developed to educate consumers about the use and transparency of the portal.
It is recalled that last month, the energy minister revealed that only 5 to 8 percent of people who installed solar systems have opted for net metering.
“We want that when people install solar net metering systems, they are able to recover their investment within three to four years and feel satisfied with the system,” he added.
He also stated that following the announcement of electricity price reductions, 18 million households will see a 60% reduction in their electricity bills.
He added that those using up to 100 units are already paying Rs 4.50 per unit.
In March 2025, the government reduced the buyback rate for net metering electricity to Rs10 per unit from previously Rs27 per unit.
The government had attributed the decision to significant increase in the number of solar net-metering consumers to save the grid consumers from undue financial burden.
National Electric Power Regulatory Authority will also enforce stricter standards for new net metering consumers, requiring the installation of inverters with grid interaction features, remote monitoring, and anti-islanding protection.
