Power Division orders DISCOs to clear over 1,300 pending solar net metering cases
By Tanveer Ahmed :
Pakistan’s Power Division has directed electricity distribution companies to clear more than 1,300 pending solar net metering applications within the next 10 days after taking serious notice of mounting delays in the approval and installation process.
According to official instructions issued to distribution companies, a total of 1,355 applications submitted before February 8 remain unresolved, with some consumers reportedly waiting for more than six months for their solar connections to be activated.
The move comes amid growing public frustration over delays in net metering approvals at a time when rising electricity prices have pushed households and businesses towards rooftop solar systems to reduce power costs and dependence on the national grid.
Officials said the distribution companies, commonly known as DISCOs, had been instructed to complete the installation and energisation of all remaining connections by June 1. The directive also asked companies to immediately resolve technical problems linked to transformer tagging, an issue that reportedly resulted in incorrect sanctioned load calculations and the rejection of several solar net metering and billing cases.
The backlog was identified after authorities reviewed data from the Power Information Technology Company and complaints lodged through the government’s 118 consumer complaint portal. Officials found that complaint resolution times for power outages and service-related issues were also exceeding the limits set by National Electric Power Regulatory Authority.
The Power Division warned that disciplinary action would be initiated against officials of poorly performing distribution companies, including superintending engineers, executive engineers and sub-divisional officers found responsible for unnecessary delays.
Authorities also indicated that officers who fail to improve complaint handling or delay solar net metering installations could lose performance-related bonuses as part of accountability measures.
Pakistan has witnessed a rapid increase in rooftop solar adoption over the past two years as electricity tariffs continue to rise and prolonged power shortages remain a concern in many areas. Industry analysts say demand for solar installations has surged among residential consumers, commercial users and small industries seeking relief from high utility bills and unreliable grid supply.
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