ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday promptly addressed concerns surrounding the recently announced Net Metering Regulations 2026 by the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), instructing relevant authorities to ensure the protection of existing solar consumers’ interests.
A high-level meeting, chaired by the prime minister, was convened to deliberate on the implications of the new regulations.
Prominent attendees at the meeting included Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Information Minister Atta Tarar, Power Minister Awais Leghari, Parvez Malik, Bilal Kayani, Muhammad Ali, Ahad Cheema, along with other senior officials.
During discussions, the prime minister directed NEPRA and the Power Division to submit a review petition aimed at safeguarding agreements made with current solar consumers. He stressed that any financial burden affecting approximately 466,000 solar users must not be unfairly passed on to the nation’s 37.6 million electricity consumers connected to the grid.
The prime minister underscored the importance of fully protecting the rights of existing consumers and instructed the Power Division to formulate a detailed action plan to address the matter effectively.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has condemned the changes, labeling them as fundamentally flawed. The party argued that these regulations undermine public trust and unfairly disadvantage solar users. PPP spokesperson Shazia Marri urged authorities to adopt strategies that avoid placing more financial strain on citizens and raised concerns about how affected individuals might recover their losses.
The revised regulations will now govern all upcoming energy billing and contractual arrangements under the framework of the Net Metering Regulations 2026.
