DISCOs Seek Fixed Charges on Solar Net Metering Users

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s power distribution companies (DISCOs) have unleashed a bold proposal to slam fixed charges on solar net metering users to claw back losses from the mass exodus to off-grid solar, igniting fierce debate at a NEPRA public hearing.

The plan, spotlighted during the session, targets electricity exported via solar net metering, channeling funds to offset transmission and distribution costs.

Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) and Gujranwala Electric Power Company (Gepco) blasted the solar boom as a financial bloodbath, with officials decrying unfair burdens on the national grid. The Ministry of Energy (Power Division) backed the crackdown, slamming solar beneficiaries for dodging capacity charges, shoving the load onto grid-dependent consumers.

The solar net metering saga explodes as sky-high tariffs propel consumers to renewables, slashing grid reliance amid escalating power costs.

DISCOs beg NEPRA’s blessing for fixed charges to salvage operations. The hearing spotlighted export payment delays, tied to quarterly adjustments and consumer claims, but DISCOs vowed no expiration for unclaimed credits.

NEPRA cracked down on Gepco for unapproved Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) installations and meter rollout delays, branding them illegal sans data backups. Mepco boasted 100% FY2024-25 recovery targets, yet confessed Rs900 million annual unrecoverables despite relentless arrears hunts.

The solar net metering clash and energy tariff turmoil underscore Pakistan’s energy sector’s brutal balancing act: renewable adoption, grid survival, sustainable consumption.