Pakistan’s Power Division rejected reports claiming the federal government had made it mandatory for solar consumers to obtain a licence from the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority before installing solar systems or opting for net metering.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the division said the reports were misleading and wrongly attributed the licensing matter to the federal government.
The spokesperson clarified that regulations related to licensing for solar net metering already exist and fall under the jurisdiction of Nepra as the sector regulator, while distribution companies are responsible for implementing those rules.
He said it was “completely incorrect” to suggest that the federal government had issued new directives requiring all solar users to secure licences from Nepra.
According to the Power Division, no official position had been sought from the ministry or the federal government before the reports were published, resulting in confusion among consumers.
The clarification comes months after the government changed the solar net metering framework in February, ending the exchange of electricity units and reducing the contract period from seven years to five years.
Under the revised mechanism, distribution companies charge consumers their applicable electricity tariff, which can go as high as Rs. 50 per unit, while electricity supplied by solar users to the grid may be purchased at around Rs. 11 per unit.
The changes had drawn criticism from consumers and renewable energy advocates, who said the revised policy made rooftop solar less attractive at a time when more households and businesses were looking to cut power costs.
