Separate meters are required for purchasing and supplying electricity; Users will not sell excess electricity to other consumers.
KARACHI:
The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority has introduced a new set of rules and regulations aimed at managing the process of purchasing and supplying electricity for net metering users.
The regulations bring significant changes that will affect both new and existing users of distributed generation facilities, such as solar, wind and biogas energy systems.
Under the new rules, net metering users, called “prosumers,” will face separate rates for purchasing electricity from the grid and supplying it to the grid. The power company will purchase electricity from pro-consumers at the national average power purchase price, while supplying electricity to users based on existing tariffs.
In addition to these changes, the regulations introduce several new requirements and definitions. A key change is the introduction of a new term, “Prosumer,” for net metering users.
These users will now be subject to more specific rules on how much electricity they can produce, and NEPRA will retain the power to review their production capacity.
The new regulations also require separate meters for the purchase and delivery of electricity for net metering users. Additionally, users will not be able to sell excess electricity to other consumers, ensuring that the energy generated is only used for their own consumption or sold to the grid.
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For those already signed up for net metering agreements, these new rules will apply once their current contracts expire. Existing users will not be able to transfer or sell their excess electricity to other consumers, a major change from previous guidelines.
Additionally, the new rules stipulate that no user can generate more electricity than their carrying capacity, ensuring efficient energy production and consumption.
The implementation of these new rules is part of NEPRA’s ongoing efforts to better manage Pakistan’s growing net metering sector and ensure fair and efficient electricity transactions.
The developments aim to regulate the growing net metering sector in Pakistan, help standardize the operations of distributed generation systems and maintain the stability of the national grid.
