Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday took immediate notice of the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority’s (NEPRA) newly notified Net Metering Regulations 2026, directing authorities to safeguard the interests of existing solar consumers.A high-level meeting was convened under the chairmanship of the prime minister to review the new regulations.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Atta Tarar, Power Minister Owais Leghari, Pervez Malik, Bilal Kayani, Muhammad Ali, Ahad Cheema and other senior officials. During the meeting, the prime minister instructed the Power Division and NEPRA to file a review appeal to ensure full protection of contracts signed with existing solar consumers.He emphasised that the burden of approximately 466,000 solar consumers should not be shifted onto 37.6 million electricity consumers connected to the national grid.“

The rights of existing consumers must be fully protected,” the prime minister was quoted as saying, while also directing the Power Division to prepare a comprehensive action plan on the matter. Earlier, NEPRA formally notified the Net Metering Regulations 2026, introducing significant structural changes to the existing system.Under the revised system, consumers will receive a bill at the end of each billing cycle, marking a shift in how exported and imported electricity units are calculated and settled.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)