Renewable energy is the future of the country because due to the expensive power supply the masses has abandoned the use of electricity and they are using solar panels to reduce their expenses.
To facilitate the consumers the government had lunched a net metering system in which consumers can sell their extra power to the providing companies, those deduct the units from the consumer’s bills.
The above system is not yet benefited the common citizens because there are dozens and hundreds of cases filed against the power supply companies because from the consumers charged huge bill except they installed net metering system.
On the other hand the above system has a burden on the common consumers those are using grid electricity. Yesterday a renowned newspaper reported that net metering has placed a financial burden of Rs103 billion on grid power consumers in Pakistan, prompting the government to consider a shift to a gross metering system.
According to the report solar net metering, which allows users to offset electricity costs by feeding surplus energy into the grid, has seen significant growth.
Installed capacity rose from 321 MW in 2021 to 3,277 MW in 2024 and is projected to reach 12,377 MW by 2034. However, the system currently benefits only 0.6% of the nation’s 37 million electricity users.
The Power Division highlighted that in 2024 alone, net metering users contributed to a Rs103 billion cost that was borne by conventional grid consumers.
Officials warn that without policy reforms, this financial strain could increase to Rs503 billion over the next decade.
Major cities including Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Faisalabad, and Peshawar now account for 80% of the country’s net metering users, with the total number of such connections exceeding 226,440.
To alleviate the impact on grid users, the government is exploring the introduction of gross metering.
Under this system, the rate for electricity purchased from solar net metering users would drop from Rs21 per unit to Rs8–9 per unit.
Sources indicated that a policy shift is imperative to ensure the sustainability of the energy grid and prevent additional financial burdens on traditional power consumers.
The proposed reforms aim to balance the rapid adoption of rooftop solar installations with grid stability and affordability, ensuring long-term viability for Pakistan’s power sector.
Although there is no such recognition from the government officials about the story but is a fact that now the common citizens has been able to generate their own electricity and soon they will be able to get rid of the expensive electricity, than it will be very challenging for the power supply companies to give cheaper electricity to the masses.
Now there are some rumors also that, in the future a huge amount of taxes on the solar panels to enhance the annual taxations that will further create burden the masses.
There it the need of the time that government should not only inquire the matter but also farther make a dynamic net metering system that benefit the consumers those providing extra electricity to the grid.
It is also a fact that electricity providing companies cannot stop the advancement of solarization because it’s a revolutionary technology that will change the whole scenario. Therefor it is the time to make a go-ahead plan to overcome on the power supply crisis, only changing the head of income is not the solution of the long lasting problem.
The planning commission should also play its role to study the whole system that how should we can use the solar power for the welfare of the common citizens, imposing taxes will further lose the trust of masses for the government. So it is hoped that relevant authorities will think about the bright future of the modern technology.