Guides · Faisalabad, Lahore, Punjab
Net Billing Credit Not Showing on Your Bill
Short answer
If your net billing or net metering credit is not showing on your electricity bill, first check four things: that your agreement is signed and the bidirectional or AMI meter is commissioned, that your inverter is actually exporting, that the bill shows an export reading for the month, and whether the credit was carried forward instead of printed as a deduction. If the meter recorded exports and the bill ignores them, raise a written complaint with your DISCO sub-division, keep copies, and escalate to NEPRA's online complaint system if it is not resolved.
Policy facts below come from our net metering and net billing guide and were last checked on 13 October 2026. NEPRA can revise rates by notification, so confirm current figures with your DISCO.
How credit should appear under the 2026 rules
Since 9 February 2026, new solar connections are billed under NEPRA's net billing rules:
- Imports (units you take from the grid) are billed at your normal tariff.
- Exports (units you send to the grid) are credited at the national average energy purchase price, reported at about Rs 10-11 per unit when the rules were notified.
- If credits are more than charges, the balance carries forward to the next 30-day bill or is paid out quarterly.
Consumers who had a net metering agreement before 9 February 2026, or who applied by 8 February 2026, keep the old one-for-one unit offset until their agreement expires.
So the credit may not look the way you expect. Under net billing, export units are not subtracted from import units; they are valued separately at a lower rate. A bill that still shows many import units may be correct. Our worked example in the net billing guide shows how big the difference can be.
Net-billing credit not showing
Meter
Import and export registers
Bill
Units, rupees or both
DISCO
Billing cycle and adjustments
Step 1: confirm you are actually connected for export
Credit only starts once the whole process is complete.
- Agreement signed. The DISCO signs the agreement after technical approval.
- Demand notice paid. You pay the connection and meter charges.
- Meter installed and commissioned. A bidirectional or AMI smart meter is fitted and the connection is commissioned.
- Approval issued. Up to 25 kW, the DISCO approves; above 25 kW, NEPRA concurrence is needed.
Under the regulations, net billing starts from the billing cycle after interconnection, so the first bill after the meter is fitted may not show any credit yet. If any of these steps is still pending, the bill will not show export credit, even if your inverter is pushing power out. Exporting without approval is a problem in itself; see the zero export device guide. The full step list is in our green meter and FESCO/LESCO application guide.
Step 2: confirm your system is exporting
Open your inverter's monitoring app and look at grid export for the billing month. Our solar monitoring app guide shows where to find it.
- Export is zero or very low. Your inverter may have an export limit or zero-export setting, the house may be using all the solar, or the inverter may have been tripping.
- Export is normal. Move on to the meter and bill.
The app will not match the DISCO meter exactly; treat it as a cross-check, not proof.
Step 3: read the meter and the bill
- Read the meter yourself. AMI and bidirectional meters show separate import and export registers on their display. Note both readings with the date and take a photo.
- Find the export reading on the bill. Look for the export or solar units section. Our guide to reading your electricity bill explains the main sections.
- Compare reading dates. The DISCO reads on its own cycle. Exports late in the month may fall into the next bill.
- Check whether credit was carried forward. If credits exceeded charges, the balance may roll to the next bill or a quarterly payment rather than appear as a deduction.
- Check which terms you are on. If you had net metering before 9 February 2026, units should still be offset one for one. If the bill uses net billing instead, raise it.
Common reasons credit goes missing
| What you see | Possible reason | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No export line at all | Meter not yet commissioned or agreement incomplete | Ask the sub-division for the file status |
| Export reading is zero but app shows export | Meter fault, wrong meter, or reading not taken | Photograph the meter display; complain in writing |
| Export units shown but not credited | Billing error | Written complaint with meter photos |
| Credit lower than expected | Net billing rate, not the old one-for-one offset | Check your agreement date |
| Old net metering user billed under net billing | Error, or system capacity was changed after 9 Feb 2026 | Check whether capacity changed; complain if not |
| Some export units excluded | Exports above approved capacity | Check approved capacity against installed system |
Billing errors do happen
In January 2026, LESCO reprinted bills for net metering consumers after export units had been left out of the bills under a directive from the Power Planning and Monitoring Company (PPMC). The Power Minister then ordered a review, and credits within approved capacity were restored, with adjustments in the following billing cycle. In June 2026, LESCO solar users also reported that their May bills appeared to use net billing although they held net metering agreements. These cases show that a missing credit is worth querying, and that keeping your own records helps.
If you added panels or changed inverter capacity after 9 February 2026, check with your DISCO which terms now apply before you complain; see adding batteries or more panels to an existing system and how to increase your sanctioned load.
Step 4: raise it with your DISCO
- Collect evidence. Bill copies for the affected months, dated photos of the meter's import and export readings, your net billing or net metering agreement, the commissioning or meter installation record, and app screenshots of monthly export.
- Write a short complaint. Give your reference number, the months affected, what the bill shows and what you expected. Attach copies, not originals.
- Submit to your sub-division office (the SDO or revenue section) or through your DISCO's online complaint channel, and get a receipt or complaint number.
- Do not ignore the due date. Ask the sub-division in writing how to handle payment while the complaint is open, so you do not face surcharges or disconnection.
- Follow up in writing. Note each visit or call, the name of the officer and the date.
Do not pay anyone who offers to "fix" your bill or your file for a fee. The government has publicly warned solar applicants about this.
Step 5: escalate to NEPRA
If the DISCO does not resolve the complaint, you can lodge a complaint with NEPRA through its online complaint management system. The Prosumer Regulations themselves say that disputes between a prosumer and the DISCO under the regulations go to NEPRA for decision. NEPRA's consumer affairs division handles complaints against DISCOs, and NEPRA has regional offices in Punjab, including Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan and Gujranwala. Its complaints committees hear both sides and can direct a DISCO to revise a bill. Some consumers have also gone through the Wafaqi Mohtasib (Federal Ombudsman), which can refer cases to NEPRA.
A complete, well-documented complaint, with meter photos and bill copies, is far easier to resolve at every level.
Prevent the problem next time
- Photograph the meter's import and export readings on the same date every month.
- Keep your agreement, demand notice receipt and commissioning record together.
- Do not change system capacity without checking with your DISCO first.
- Size for self-use. Under net billing, each unit you use yourself saves your full tariff, so export credit matters less. See sizing your solar system under net billing and our smart meter guide.
How Solar Works can help
Solar Works Pakistan designs every system in-house and installs it with its own teams, from about 6 kW to megawatt scale, across Punjab. We set export limits where there is no agreement, and our quotation lists the exact inverter brand and model, which the DISCO checks when it fits the meter. For systems we install, we can help you read the inverter's export data to compare with your bill.
Solar Works Pakistan prepares the technical documents and handles the net billing application, and can help follow up billing queries with FESCO or LESCO.
Get today's price or a free site survey
Send us a photo of your bill, your meter display and a screenshot of your app's monthly export.
- WhatsApp or call: 0336 666 4321
- Email: info@solarworks.pk
- Head office: Main Boulevard, Sargodha Rd, Block F FDA City, Faisalabad
- Lahore branch: 2nd Floor, Jeff Heights, Gulberg, Lahore
- Hours: 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, daily
We serve customers throughout Punjab. See our Faisalabad and Lahore pages, or contact us.
Frequently asked questions
Why are my export units not showing on my electricity bill?
The most common reasons are that the meter or agreement is not yet commissioned, the inverter is not exporting because of an export limit, or the reading fell into a different billing cycle. If the meter shows exports and the bill ignores them, it is a billing error to raise with your DISCO.
Why is my net billing credit so much lower than before?
Under net billing, exports are credited at the national average energy purchase price, reported at about Rs 10-11 per unit when the rules were notified, while imports are billed at your full tariff. Under old net metering, units were offset one for one. Check which terms your agreement is under.
I had net metering before February 2026. Why is my bill under net billing?
Existing agreements should keep the old terms until they expire. If your system capacity was changed after 9 February 2026, you may have moved to net billing. If not, raise a written complaint with your DISCO and attach your agreement.
Where does surplus credit go if I export more than I import?
Under the 2026 rules, the balance carries forward to the next bill or is paid out quarterly. It may not appear as a deduction on the current bill.
How do I complain to NEPRA about my bill?
Complain to your DISCO first and keep the complaint number. If it is not resolved, use NEPRA's online complaint management system, attaching bill copies, meter photos and your DISCO complaint record.
Should I stop paying my bill until the credit is fixed?
No. Missing the due date can lead to surcharges or disconnection. Ask your sub-division in writing how to handle payment while the complaint is open, and keep the reply.
Sources
- NEPRA (Prosumer) Regulations, 2026, SRO 251(I)/2026 (copy hosted by K-Electric)
- Pakistan Observer, "LESCO to issue new electricity bills to solar users for January 2026"
- The News, "Minister steps in as power ministry restores net metering credits nationwide" (29 Jan 2026)
- Daily Pakistan, "LESCO faces backlash as solar users report double billing in May 2026 bills" (10 Jun 2026)
- NEPRA, Contact page (online complaint registration and regional offices)
- NEPRA Complaints Resolution Committee decision, FESCO billing complaint referred by the Wafaqi Mohtasib (Aug 2026)
- ProPakistani, "Govt clears nearly 12,000 pending solar cases" (6 Sep 2026)