ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) has rolled out a new mechanism aimed at managing the electricity purchase and supply process for net metering consumers.
The regulations bring significant changes that will affect both new and existing users of distributed generation facilities, such as solar, wind, and biogas power systems.
Under the new framework, separate tariffs will apply for electricity purchased from net metering consumers and electricity supplied to them by power distribution companies.
Power companies will purchase electricity from net metering users at the National Average Energy Purchase Price, while electricity will be supplied to these consumers at the prevailing consumer tariff.
NEPRA has also formally introduced the term “prosumer” for net metering consumers, those who both produce and consume electricity.
The prosumer will face separate tariffs for electricity purchase from the grid and supply to the grid. The electricity company will buy electricity from the prosumers at the National Average Energy Purchase Price, while supplying electricity to users based on the existing tariff rates.
These users will now be subject to more specific rules concerning the amount of electricity they are permitted to produce, with NEPRA retaining the power to review their production capacity.
The new regulations also require separate meters for the purchase and supply of electricity for net metering users.
Furthermore, users will not be allowed to sell excess electricity to other consumers, ensuring that the generated power is only used for their own consumption or sold back to the grid.
