Why your net-metering bill is still high, even after exporting more

It is the most common complaint from solar homes in Pakistan: the panels are working, the meter shows more units going out than coming in, and the bill still arrives. Usually nothing is wrong with the bill. The way net metering is priced simply rewards daytime exports less than it charges for evening imports. Here are the seven reasons, in order of how much they typically cost.

1. Evening units cost more than daytime units earn

Your meter records off-peak and peak units separately, and they are priced separately. On our sample LESCO bill:

The household exported 165 more units than it imported, but every peak unit costs 1.85 off-peak units to cancel. This is the single biggest reason solar bills don’t reach zero. Full working: how the bill is calculated.

What you can do: move flexible load (washing, water pumping, ironing, pre-cooling rooms) into daylight hours, and cut evening use during the peak window. Every peak unit you avoid saves around Rs 56 after tax on this tariff.

2. Exports hardly ever happen in peak hours

Peak hours are in the evening, when panels produce little or nothing. In our sample, the export-peak register moved by 1 unit in a month. Your peak band will almost always be net positive, so you will almost always pay for peak units at the higher rate.

3. The fixed charge is never netted

The fixed charge (FIX-CHRG) is a monthly amount that doesn’t depend on units. Exports cannot reduce it, and 18% GST is added on top. On the sample bill it was Rs 2,700, or Rs 3,186 with tax, every month, even in the sunniest one. See fixed charges, FPA and taxes.

4. Taxes follow the charge, not the units

GST (18%) is calculated on the rupee charges, and some bills still carry electricity duty. Once peak pricing and the fixed charge leave a positive amount, taxes add roughly another 18–20%. A 2025 Federal Tax Ombudsman order also told DISCOs to charge GST on the gross value of imported units rather than the net, which raises tax on solar bills where it is applied. Depending on your filer status and DISCO, income tax or further tax may also appear.

5. Fuel and quarterly adjustments

Fuel price adjustment (FPA) and quarterly tariff adjustment (QTA) are surcharges set by NEPRA after the fact, when generation costs turn out higher or lower than the reference. They are billed on top of the energy charge and can appear in months when you expected a small bill.

6. The settlement month catches up

Net-metering bills run on a settlement cycle, usually three months. In months 1 and 2, net units roll forward (REMAINING-PRESENT). In month 3 (MONTH COUNT 3/3) the whole quarter is priced at once. If peak units piled up over the quarter, the settlement bill can be several times larger than the previous two. See quarterly settlement explained.

7. Winter, dust and system problems

Exports fall sharply from November to February: shorter days, haze and smog, and a low sun angle. Dirty panels, a tripped inverter, or an inverter limiting export when grid voltage is high can cut exports further without you noticing. Compare your export units month by month with the same month last year; a sudden drop that isn’t explained by weather is worth a check by your installer.

When the bill really is wrong

Sometimes it is. Watch for:

• Present − previous ≠ units on any register (a misread meter).
• Export units missing or shown as zero while your inverter app shows export.
• An estimated reading instead of an actual one.
• A detection or adjustment charge you don’t recognise.
• Import and export registers swapped.

Our guide to fixing a wrong net-metering bill covers how to get it corrected.

Quick diagnosis

1. Is NET-PK large and positive? Your evening use is the main cost.
2. Is MONTH COUNT 3/3? It is a settlement bill and includes earlier months.
3. Is FIX-CHRG a large share? That part is unavoidable while connected.
4. Are there FPA or QTA lines? Those are tariff-wide surcharges, not your usage.
5. Do the meter readings add up? If not, it is a billing error.

Solar Bill answers all five automatically from your bill PDF.