Fault-finding
The net metering application came back
Most returns are paperwork rather than technical: an inconsistency between the single-line diagram and what is installed, missing installer licence details, or a system size that does not match the sanctioned load on the account. All three are fixable, and the third is the one to check before installing.
Last reviewed
Read what was actually returned
A returned file usually names its objection, and the objection is usually specific. Read it before assembling anything new — resubmitting a corrected version of the wrong thing is how applications go around twice. If the objection is unclear, that is worth a visit to ask rather than a guess.
Check system size against sanctioned load
This is the objection that costs real time, because the fix may be a load revision rather than a document. Net metering approval expects a sensible relationship between the system you have installed and the load sanctioned on your connection. Mismatches should be caught before installation; caught afterwards, they can mean applying to revise the sanctioned load first.
Make the diagram match the installation
The single-line diagram has to describe what is actually on the roof and in the board — inverter model and rating, array size, protection devices, earthing. Diagrams drawn from a proposed design and never updated after a change on site are a routine cause of return, and the inspection is where the mismatch surfaces.
Attend the re-inspection with the drawings
Someone technical on site who can answer a question immediately turns a re-inspection into a decision rather than another visit. Have the diagram, the datasheets and the installer's licence details in hand. Most second inspections that fail do so because nobody present could explain the system.
Why was my net metering application rejected?
Can I apply again after a rejection?
Yes — a return is not a refusal, it is a request for correction, and resubmission is normal. What matters is fixing the actual objection rather than resubmitting the same pack with a cover letter. Files that go around several times almost always do so because the objection was never read carefully.
Does my system need to be installed before I apply?
The installation has to exist and be documented for inspection, so this is not a paper exercise done in advance. What can and should be checked in advance is eligibility — connection type, sanctioned load, arrears on the account. Those three catch most problems before anyone spends money on hardware.
Can I do the application myself?
Yes. Whether it is sensible depends on your appetite for the process — the technical documentation needs a licensed installer's details regardless, and the commonest failure is an inconsistent pack rather than a difficult one. For a straightforward domestic connection it is realistic; for anything commercial it usually is not worth the elapsed time.
Rather have it done?
Net metering lets your meter run backwards when you export, crediting units against what you draw at night. Getting it approved means a licensed application to IESCO with the right drawings and a bidirectional meter installed. The service runs PKR 35,000 to 60,000, separate from the DISCO's own charges.
Net metering application and paperwork in Islamabad — prices and scope