If you signed a net-metering agreement before 9 February 2026, you are being paid roughly Rs 26 for every unit you export. Add panels or a bigger inverter and you can lose that for the whole system. This page explains the rule, what triggers it, and how to expand without losing the old rate.
The rule
NEPRA replaced net metering with net billing on 9 February 2026. SRO 547(I)/2026, issued afterwards, confirms that agreements signed before that date continue on the old rate and mechanism until they expire. The same order says the protection ends on a “material modification of the distributed generation facility resulting in change to the maximum electrical output” of the system.
In plain terms: your protection is tied to the system as it was approved. Change what it can put out, and the whole installation, not just the added part, can be moved to net billing, where exports earn about Rs 11 per unit.
What counts as a change to maximum output
- Adding panels beyond the approved array.
- Replacing the inverter with a larger one, or adding a second inverter.
- Raising the approved capacity in any form on the LESCO record.
What is less clear, because no published LESCO process covers it yet: a like-for-like inverter replacement after a failure, and adding a battery that does not change output. Both are reasonable cases for keeping protection, but get LESCO’s answer in writing before you act.
What the old rate is worth
A protected system exporting 300 units a month earns about Rs 7,800 at Rs 26 per unit. The same 300 units under net billing earn about Rs 3,300. Over the remaining years of a seven-year agreement that difference is often larger than the value of the extra panels you were thinking of adding.
How to grow your solar without losing it
- Do not touch the protected system. Keep its panels, inverter and approved capacity exactly as recorded.
- Shift load into daylight instead. Running pumps, washing and charging by day uses the generation you already have at the full tariff.
- Ask LESCO in writing about storage or a like-for-like replacement before doing either.
- If your load has genuinely outgrown the system, compare the value of the old rate for the remaining term against a properly sized new design under net billing. We will run both numbers for you honestly.
Frequently asked questions
Will I lose my net-metering rate if I add more panels?
Very likely, yes. SRO 547(I)/2026 protects agreements signed before 9 February 2026 only until a material modification of the system that changes its maximum electrical output. Adding panels or a larger inverter changes that output, which can move the whole system to net billing at about Rs 11 per exported unit instead of the roughly Rs 26 the old agreement pays.
Can I add a battery without losing the old rate?
A battery that does not change the system’s maximum electrical output is a different case from adding panels, but the regulation is worded around output and LESCO applies it. Get written confirmation from LESCO before installing storage on a protected system.
What if my inverter fails and I replace it?
A like-for-like replacement that keeps the same maximum output is the strongest case for keeping protection, but no published LESCO process covers it yet. Ask LESCO in writing before the swap and keep the old and new datasheets.
How long does my old net-metering rate last?
Until your existing agreement expires. Old agreements were for seven years. Renewal after expiry is under net billing.
Is expanding a protected system ever worth it?
Only if the extra capacity is consumed on site. Under net billing each self-used unit saves roughly Rs 55 to 65 while exports earn about Rs 11, so expansion makes sense when your daytime load has grown, not to sell more to the grid.
Read the full guide to net metering versus net billing in Pakistan, or see system prices by size if you are weighing a new design.
On a protected agreement and thinking of expanding?
Send us your agreement date, approved capacity and current bill on WhatsApp 0321 878 3630. We will tell you whether expanding is worth it before you spend anything.