Prosumer Regulations 2026: Power Division moves Nepra for review

ISLAMABAD: The Power Division has approached the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) seeking a re-examination of the Prosumer Regulations 2026 in light of directions issued by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

NEPRA is expected to consider the Power Division’s request to revisit the recently notified Prosumer Regulations and introduce necessary amendments to protect existing consumers who have invested billions of rupees in solar installations.

According to a senior official of the Power Division, the matter has been referred to NEPRA following widespread public concern expressed across various forums after the notification of the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Prosumer) Regulations, 2026 on February 9, 2026.

The PM has directed the Power Division to take up the issue with NEPRA for re-examination of the regulations to safeguard the existing contracts of current solar consumers. Specifically, the directions include:

(i) ensuring all possible protections for existing consumers are guaranteed;

(ii) formulating a comprehensive mechanism to prevent any undue transfer of the financial burden of approximately 466,000 solar consumers onto more than 38 million national grid consumers.

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In compliance with these instructions, the Power Division has requested NEPRA to immediately re-examine the Prosumer Regulations. It has proposed that the interests of consumers holding valid net-metering licenses as of February 9, 2026, be protected, particularly with respect to benefits available under the repealed net-metering regulations.

For new consumers, however, the framework and mechanism prescribed under the Prosumer Regulations 2026 would apply.

The Power Division has further requested that, until a final decision is reached, distribution companies (DISCOs) be allowed to continue operating under the repealed net-metering mechanism for consumers holding valid licenses as of February 9, 2026.

Both NEPRA and the Power Division have faced sharp criticism from parliamentarians as well as net-metering consumers, many of whom have spent millions of rupees installing on-grid and off-grid solar systems to reduce their electricity bills.

However, the Power Division maintains that consumers who have not installed net-metering systems—referred to as the non-protected category—are bearing an additional financial burden of approximately Rs. 3.5 per unit due to the existing net-metering regime. Also solarisation is now a constant risk to the national grid system.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026