Many people go solar expecting their electricity bill to disappear. Then the first net meter bill arrives and they are confused. Here is exactly what to expect.
The net meter bill structure: your bill now shows two unit readings — imported (what you consumed from WAPDA) and exported (what you fed back from solar). The net calculation is: imports minus exports equals net units. If the result is positive you pay for those units. If it is zero or negative, you carry a credit forward.
Why you will still receive a bill: even if your net units are zero, there are fixed monthly charges that do not disappear. These include the meter rent, the fixed distribution charge (FC), applicable taxes, and the fuel price adjustment (FPA). These typically total Rs. 1,000 to 3,000 per month depending on your sanctioned load and DISCO. A zero-unit bill still has these charges.
Surplus credits and carry-forward: if your exports exceed imports in a month, the surplus units carry forward to the next month. This is very valuable — your summer peak generation offsets the lower-generation winter months automatically.
Annual settlement: at the end of the billing year, any remaining positive credit balance is settled. DISCO pays you at NEPRA's avoided cost rate, currently around Rs. 19 to 22 per unit. This is much lower than the Rs. 40 to 70 retail tariff. So the goal is always to size your system to consume as much of your own solar generation as possible, not to maximise exports.
Practical example: in May you import 400 units and export 300 units. Net = 100 units — you pay for 100 units plus fixed charges. In June you import 350 and export 450. Net = minus 100 — you pay only fixed charges and the 100 unit credit rolls to July.
The best outcome: design a system where on an annual basis you export no more than 10 to 15 percent of your total generation. Self-consumption is always more financially efficient than selling back to WAPDA.
Received your first net meter bill and have questions about specific line items? Share it here (cover your address) and we can help you read it.
