WNAM REPORT: Chairman Pakistan Alternative Energy Association, Asif Javed, has stated that the net billing policy is pushing consumers away from renewable energy and is also contrary to the government’s green energy objectives. He said that solar consumers constitute a very small share of the country’s total electricity generation, yet imposing additional policy burdens on them is unjust.
He pointed out that under the net billing system, electricity generated by solar consumers is purchased at extremely low rates, while they are forced to buy electricity at much higher prices when needed. This has undermined the economic viability of solar investments. As a result of this policy, the expected savings of solar consumers have declined, and the payback period for investment has increased to an unacceptable level.
Asif Javed further said that rooftop solar systems installed through net metering and net billing serve as an effective substitute for imported fuels, playing a vital role in saving foreign exchange and protecting the environment. He warned that discouraging such consumers instead of facilitating them could further exacerbate the country’s energy crisis.
