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ISLAMABAD: The federal government has denied claims made by a leading news channel regarding changes in the net metering policy, which allows residential and commercial electricity consumers to sell rooftop-generated solar energy to power distribution companies.
On Wednesday, Geo News reported that the government had decided to amend the net metering regulations, introducing two different tariffs for buying and selling solar energy. The channel also claimed that net metering was being discontinued and that a fixed tax would be imposed on consumers with solar systems. They further stated that the prime minister had ordered authorities to move summaries on these decisions.
However, shortly after the broadcast, the Power Division issued a rebuttal, stating that media outlets should have contacted them for clarification. The Power Division emphasized that there was no truth to the reports about ending the net metering policy and confirmed that no instructions had been received from the prime minister regarding this matter.
LESCO, the utility supplying electricity to the Lahore region, also issued a statement denying the claims about ending net metering and advised consumers not to believe such reports.
Plans to alter the solar net metering policy were first reported by Business Recorder in April, suggesting the government was considering reducing the buyback rates for electricity from consumers with solar systems.
Subsequently, the Express Tribune reported that net metering was being replaced with ‘gross metering,’ which would involve installing two separate meters at homes with solar systems: one for sending electricity produced by rooftop solar panels to the national grid, and another for drawing electricity from the national grid at night. There were also claims about a fixed tax on solar system consumers, which the Power Division has already refuted.
