ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Power and Energy Awais Leghari has taken serious notice of delays in the processing of net metering connections and directed all power distribution companies (DISCOs) to immediately accelerate the approval process.
According to official sources, the minister warned that strict action would be taken against DISCOs intentionally causing delays in the issuance of net metering connections. He also announced penalties for officials of poorly performing companies if the backlog is not cleared within the stipulated timeframe.
During a high-level briefing, the minister was informed that 1,355 net metering applications are currently pending across various DISCOs. Officials further revealed that several applications were rejected due to improper tagging of transformers linked with net metering consumers.
The briefing highlighted that the time being taken to resolve such issues exceeds the limits set by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA).
Expressing concern over the slow pace of installations, Awais Leghari directed all DISCOs to clear pending cases and complete the installation of remaining net metering connections by June 1.
He warned that administrative action would be initiated against Superintending Engineers (SEs), Executive Engineers (XENs), and Sub-Divisional Officers (SDOs) of the worst-performing DISCOs, adding that officers failing to improve performance may also face suspension of bonuses.
Meanwhile, NEPRA has recently amended the Solar Regulations 2026 and issued a fresh notification regarding net metering. Under the revised regulations, existing agreements of current solar net metering consumers will remain unchanged, while registered consumers will continue to receive billing under their previous contracts until expiry.
However, consumers increasing or altering their solar generation capacity will no longer qualify for the earlier rates. The revised regulations are scheduled to take effect from February 9, 2026.
Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also took notice of the new solar regulations and directed the Power Division to file a review appeal with NEPRA to protect the rights of existing solar consumers.
