MEPCO Net Metering

In Pakistan, the prices of electricity are increasing at a constant pace and we face a shortage of electricity too. To overcome this issue Govt is planning to increase the production of electricity and shift production plants to reusable sources from fossil fuels.

Govt has started to build dams and install air turbines and solar systems to increase the low-cost electricity production. This will increase the portion of reusable sources in the production of electricity.
If you want to know about MEPCO Net Metering/MEPCO Green Meter then click to get all related information and the process of installation, documents required and a detailed guideline.

Govt also gives initiatives to the public to install solar systems in their houses. Govt offers subsidies on solar plates and removes import duty on solar panels. Now, the price of solar panels in the market has dropped significantly.

If consumers install solar systems in their houses, they will generate electricity for no extra production cost. They will get free and uninterrupted electricity supply during the daytime. As in Pakistan, we have a long daytime duration during summer, which will increase the production timings of electricity.

Mostly people install higher-capacity solar systems than they need during the daytime. Govt has given them the initiative to export or sell extra electricity to the National Grid and get money. Now, people who generate more electricity than their demand can sell to their respective DISCO.

The consumers of MEPCO can also sell their extra electricity to MEPCO and can get payment against their units exported.

For this purpose, the government launched a Green Meter or Net Metering System in 2015. In this system, the consumers can sell their extra electricity to the national grid and import it when they need more electricity.

To check your MEPCO Duplicate Bill online for free open the MEPCO Bill

Usually, the solar system produces more electricity during the daytime, so this extra electricity is exported to the national grid. During that time, the production of solar systems was stopped so consumers could import electricity.

The difference will be calculated every month at the reading date. The bill of the consumer can be debt or credit on their production and consumption.

How does MEPCO Net Metering work?

The solar system produces more electricity in the daytime and if the consumer consumes less electricity than his production, he can sell it to WAPDA. The excess electricity is transferred to the national grid. The units are credited to the consumer’s account.

During the night when solar systems do not produce electricity or during foggy or cloudy weather the system does not meet the requirement of electricity, the electricity is imported from the national grid. These units are debited from the account of the user.

If the exported units are more than the imported units then the bill will be in credit. But if the imported units are more than the exported units then the bill will be in debit and the consumer has to pay this bill.

If you have any issues, you can register a Complaint against MEPCO through the online portal.

The single meter is used to import and export electricity. This meter is called a green meter and this whole process is called net metering.

MEPCO Net Metering

We can elaborate on this whole process in a simple example. If a consumer produces 500 units in a month and consumes 400 units in that month. His units will be calculated as 500-400=100

These 100 units are surplus and the consumer account will be credited with 100 units. The consumer did not need to pay this bill.

How to Apply for Net Metering?

Here we will explain the whole process for applying for Green Meter in Pakistan. We will also enlist all prerequisites for the Green Meter

Active Connection

The consumer should have an active connection with relevant DISCO and have a billing history. This is the first and foremost prerequisite for this system. If you do not have a connection to MEPCO, you can apply for a New Connection online.

Solar System Installation

Before applying for green meters the consumer should have installed a solar system. The system should have a higher production capacity than its usage. For example, if a consumer consumes 300 units a month then the system should have a capacity of producing 400-500 units per month.

Contact with a Solar Company

The consumer should have contact with an AEDB Registered company for applying Green Meter. The NEPRA does not receive applications directly from consumers, so you need to apply through a solar company.

Preparation of Application

Now the preparation of the application will start. They will prepare an application for applying for Green Meter as per the rules of SRO 892(1) 2015. The contacted company will apply on your behalf and need documents like your National ID Card, Previous Month Bill etc.

Inspection and Issuance of NOC

Now the MEPCO will inspect the consumer’s site, their solar system, its capacity, inverter quality and all other related requirements. If they are satisfied with your arrangements they will issue you a NOC ( No Objection Certificate ) under SRO 892(1) 2015.

Agreement Signing

After the NOC, you need to sign an agreement with MEPCO for 3 years. It means you are allowed to sell your produced electricity to MEPCO in the National Grid.

Allotment of Generation License 

When a consumer signs an agrement with MEPCO, his application is forwarded to NEPRA ( National Electric Power Regulatory Authority ) for verification. After verifying all requirements the NEPRA will allot a generation license to the consumer. This license will allow you to produce and sell electricity to the national grid.

Activation of Net Metering

After you receive your license of production as an Independent Power Producer, your service will be activated. For this purpose, a green-coloured three-phase meter will be installed at your premises. Now, you will be able to produce and sell your electricity to the MEPCO. Now you will be able to earn money by selling electricity.

Green Meter Rates in Pakistan

Everyone wants to know about green meter rates in Pakistan, it is also called Tariff for Net Metering. Here we will discuss tariffs in detail. But before this, consumers should learn some terms mostly used in this system.

Peak Hours

Higher consumption hours of electricity are termed peak hours. During these hours the consumption is higher as compared to other times. Mostly these are 6-10 PM.

Off-Peak Hours

All remaining time of the day i.e. 20 hours are termed as off-peak hours. During these hours the consumption of electricity is lower as compared to peak hours.

There is a different tariff for peak and off-peak hours. It is currently 

Import Units

The number of units a consumer consumes from the national grid during a month is called import units. MEPCO charges for these units are debited from consumers’ accounts.

Export Units

The total number of units sold or transferred to the national grid during a month are called export units. MEPCO will pay for these units and these units are credited to consumers’ bills.

How Reading Is Done?

4 readings are recorded for green meter consumers during a month. These readings are done at the same time. These 4 readings represent export and import during peak and off-peak hours.

We can easily explain it as 1st reading for imports during peak hours, 2nd reading for exports during peak hours. 3rd reading for imports during off-peak hours and 4th reading for exports during off-peak hours. In this way, the meter reader records 4 readings for a green meter.

You can activate the Monthly Bill Subscription service of MEPCO through the portal by filling out the form.

Bill Calculations

Here we will explain the process of bill calculation for a green meter user. We will straightforwardly explain this process.

Bill for Off-Peak Hours

During off-peak hours the production of electricity is higher than the consumption of a consumer. So a consumer usually exports electricity during off-peak hours

TypeUnitsPrice Per UnitTotal Price
Import7014980
Export350144900
Net70-35014-392
Off-peak hours bill calculations

The -ve sign indicates that this amount is payable to the consumer and it will be credited to the consumer bill. This will be deducted from the peak hours bill.

Bill for Peak Hours

During peak hours the solar system produces no electricity and it consumes from batteries and imports from the national grid. So in peak hours, the units are imported and their bill is calculated under 

TypeUnitsPrice Per UnitTotal Price
Import100202000
Export0200
Net100-0202000
Peak hours bill calculations

The +ve sign with the amount shows that this amount is payable by the consumer and it is debited from the account of the consumer.

Net Bill

To get the net bill, the bill for off-peak hours is deducted from the bill for peak hours. When we deduct the amount, we will get a net bill of the consumer for the current month.

Bill for Off-Peak hours – Bill for Peak hours = Net Bill

Now if the imported bill increases than the exported bill, the consumer will pay the bill. But if the exported bill is higher than the imported bill then this bill will be credited to the consumer’s account. Consumers did not need to pay credited bills.

Note: We use all supposed values in the examples to make understanding better.

The tariff may be different and Govt can change it at any time. There are some Taxes and Duties that are also included in the bill.

You can Calculate your MEPCO Bill with the help of your units consumed during a month.

Benefits of Net Metering

No doubt, green meter has many benefits in daily life but we will discuss some of them.

Low Electricity Bill

If a consumer uses green meters, his bill will be low due to the export of electricity to the national grid. Sometimes, even if it may be -ve, means credit and the consumer does not need to pay the bill.

Return on Investment ( ROI )

ROI is a business term used to examine the benefit of investment, whether the investment is better or not. In this case, the investment in the solar system is highly paying off. As the consumer sells electricity to MEPCO, he earns money. This will increase the ROI and the consumer will gain all the benefits from his investment in solar system.

Energy Independence

The solar system installation makes consumers independent from the national grid. He enjoys electricity without any interruption. 

Eco Friendly

The production of electricity from solar systems is an eco-friendly task. Due to this, the usage of fossil fuels decreases and it has a positive effect on our atmosphere. It did not create any pollution.

Grid Stability

As the production increases from solar systems, it will also decrease the demand for electricity from the national grid. It will lower the burden on the national grid and increase the stability of the grid.

Jobs Creation

When the demand for solar system installations increases, it will increase the demand for skilled persons. This will increase the jobs in this field and provide work to more people.

Conclusion

Solar systems are a blessing for the people of Pakistan as they suffer from the load shedding of electricity and high prices. When they install solar systems and green meters, they will not only lower their bills but can also earn money by selling extra power produced to the national grid.

Govt should take some steps to increase the pace of solar system installations by giving some incentives like lowering taxes and import levies of solar panels. Govt should make the process of installation of green meters very easy and fast. It will give relief to the people of Pakistan.

Frequently Asked Questions FAQs

It is determined by system capacity and starts from 80,000 minimum to a higher value.

Net metering started in Pakistan in 2015, it allows consumers to produce power from 1 KW to 10 MW

Net metering works based on give and take. When the system produces more power as compared to the demand of the consumer, it gives to the national grid. When the system requires more power as compared to its production, it imports from the national grid.

The consumer needs an active connection, solar system, NOC, and license for production are the main requirements for the green meter.

It is a time-consuming process and if the consumer completes all required documents in time, then the time required decreases. The time mentioned by NEPRA is 90 days for green meters.

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