· Educational guide
Net Metering Credits on Your Bill
How a net-metering result shows up on the actual bill, the difference between a true bi-directional meter and simple netting, and what to do when the numbers don't add up.
Disclaimer: This page is general information only. Tariffs, net-metering rules, and DISCO procedures change—verify with your distribution company and official NEPRA materials before making purchase or wiring decisions.
Reading the lines
Depending on your meter type and your DISCO's billing software, the bill may print imported units, exported units, and a net adjustment separately, or it may print just one net figure after the back office has already reconciled them. The labels differ by DISCO, so match what's on your bill against what your installer told you to expect rather than assuming a standard format.
If a figure looks off, photograph the meter display on a clear day — both registers, if the display shows them — and take that to your DISCO along with your reference number and net-metering agreement.
Bi-directional meters vs simple netting
A true bi-directional meter logs import and export as separate registers, and the billing system nets them for the period — usually carrying any export surplus forward as a credit against future bills rather than paying it out in cash. An older or misconfigured setup sometimes only logs import, which quietly under-credits real exports. Confirm which type got installed at commissioning; it's not something you want to discover a year later.
Ask directly how the export credit is expressed on your bill — adjusted units, a rupee line, or a running balance carried forward — so you know exactly what to check each cycle instead of guessing at a format.
When the numbers do not match your expectations
A single odd month is usually weather, a shift in the billing cycle dates, or a seasonal swing you hadn't accounted for — not a fault. Compare at least two or three consecutive bills before concluding something's actually wrong. Genuine mismatches tend to trace back to a meter reading error, a tariff category change, or a delay in reconciliation after commissioning.
If it persists past that, escalate in writing — email or the DISCO's complaint portal — citing your net-metering agreement number, and keep every bill and meter photo until it's resolved.
Check any Pakistan DISCO electricity bill
Use your 14-digit reference number on the home checker, or jump straight to the DISCO that bills your address.