Solar users in Pakistan now required to pay additional meter charges

ISLAMABAD: Another setback for solar power consumers as Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) has announced that consumers will now have to pay out of pocket for Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) meters before getting a net metering connection.

The drastic change in policy came under the orders of the Federal Minister for Energy and was implemented by the top management of IESCO.

From now on, all new demand notices for net metering and distributed generation (DG) setup will carry additional meter charges, a decision that is set to hit solar applicants hard. The directive will be implemented in every field office, up to sub-divisional units.

While officials insist that the new system will tighten monitoring, eliminate loopholes, and improve integration of renewable energy into the grid, the public sees it as another financial setback at a time when electricity bills are already rising.

Critics say that while AMI meters could improve reliability and accuracy, ordinary citizens will bear the brunt, forcing many to reconsider investing in solar. “This is another blow to those who turn to solar to avoid skyrocketing bills,” said one energy industry observer.

With electricity prices rising and load management challenges increasing, IESCO’s latest move has consumers wondering whether the promise of affordable, green energy is becoming more out of reach.