ISLAMABAD: Taking serious notice of prolonged delays in the energisation of net-metered solar connections, the Power Division has directed all ex-Wapda distribution companies (Discos) to clear a backlog of 1,355 pending applications within the next 10 days.
According to official directives, the pending cases relate to applications submitted before February 8, which have remained unresolved for over six months amid changes in prosumer regulations.
The issue was highlighted by the Power Information Technology Company (PITC), a subsidiary of the Power Division, which reported that Discos had been unnecessarily delaying net-metering applications. The findings were based on data collected through transformer tagging systems and complaints registered via the 118 helpline portal.
Authorities also observed that many transformers were incorrectly tagged with consumers, causing abnormal sanctioned loads to appear against transformers. This technical issue reportedly led to the rejection of several net-metering and billing cases.
Following the intervention of the power minister, Discos have now been instructed to ensure the installation and energisation of all remaining net-metering connections by June 1.
The Power Division has further warned of disciplinary action against poorly performing officers, including superintending engineers, executive engineers, and sub-divisional officers. Bonuses may also be withheld in cases involving unnecessary delays in net-metering installations or poor complaint resolution.
In addition, officials noted that the number of outage complaints exceeding Nepra’s prescribed response timelines remains alarmingly high.
The backlog began building up late last year when Nepra initiated hearings on rooftop solar expansion amid concerns raised by the Power Division over declining grid demand. Subsequently, Nepra replaced the net-metering regime with a net-billing framework effective February 8.
However, the Power Division later clarified that existing net-metering consumers would continue to receive protection until the expiry of their agreements, while applications submitted before the policy change would not face discrimination.
