Net Metering Adds Rs103 Billion Burden on Grid Consumers
Due to net metering in the country, a heavy burden of Rs 103 billion has been placed on consumers taking electricity from the grid.
The government has started considering transferring solar net metering to the gross metering system.
In this regard, sources say that in the year 2021, there were 321 MW of solar net metering connections, which have increased to 3277 MW in 2024 and by 2034, these connections can increase to 12377 MW of electricity.
According to sources, 80 percent of consumers in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, Peshawar, Sialkot and Rawalpindi have joined the net metering system
And so far, the number of net metering consumers has increased to 226440, which is only 0.6 percent of the total 37 million electricity consumers.
Net metering has put a heavy burden of Rs 103 billion on electricity consumers who were getting electricity from the grid last year.
Power Division sources say that a viable plan is under consideration to avoid burdening grid consumers in the future.
The government can change the solar net metering system and introduce gross metering,
After which the electricity purchase rate will be Rs 8 to Rs 9 per unit instead of Rs 21 per unit.
Sources say that if the new policy is not brought in time, the burden on the system will increase by Rs 503 billion in the next 10 years due to the current rooftop solar policy.
