Off-peak import
Electricity drawn from the grid in off-peak hours
Solar · Net Metering & Net Billing
Know your true energy balance.
A free net meter - or green meter - bill calculator. Enter registers #8, #6 and #5 from your meter and your last bill, and we turn your peak & off-peak imports, solar export and rollover surplus into a single, honest net figure.
- 100% free
- No sign-up
- Saved on your device
- Updates live
Green meter bill calculator - peak, off-peak and export registers
#8
Peak import
Electricity drawn from the grid in peak hours
Off-peak export
Solar energy sent back to the grid
Previous surplus
Credit carried forward from your last bill
The guide
Understanding net metering & your solar calculator
What is net metering?
Net metering lets solar owners earn credit for the surplus electricity their panels send back to the grid. When your system produces more than your home consumes, the extra energy flows outward and is recorded on your bidirectional meter - offsetting the units you later import.
Net meter, netmeter or green meter?
They are all the same device. A net meter - also written netmeter, and widely called a green meter in Pakistan and India - is a bidirectional meter that records electricity flowing in both directions. The meter is hardware; the scheme you are billed under is a separate contract, and having the meter does not tell you which one applies. Compare the terms, or see the green meter bill calculator guide for Pakistan.
Net metering or net billing?
Under net metering an exported unit cancels an imported one at the same price. Under net billing you buy at the retail rate and sell at a lower one, so self-consumption becomes worth several times more than export. Many countries have switched - Pakistan in February 2026, California under NEM 3.0, and the Netherlands from 2027. Switch the calculator to Net billing and it prices imports and exports separately, then shows what the same exports would have earned under 1:1 netting. See how the schemes differ.
How this calculator works
It separates the three things your net meter records and combines them into one balance:
- Imports (peak & off-peak): the units you pulled from the grid, split by time-of-use rate.
- Solar export: the units you sent back, with an optional deduction for utility losses or fees.
- Previous surplus: any credit carried over from your last billing cycle.
Net surplus = (Export − deduction) − (Off-peak import + Peak import) + Previous surplus
Reading your bidirectional meter
On the net meters used across Pakistan, three registers matter: #8 off-peak import, #6 peak import and #5 off-peak export. Enter each present reading and the figure printed on your last bill - the difference is your usage since that bill. Full guide to reading your meter.
Tips to maximise your credit
- Shift heavy appliances (washing, EV charging) to daylight hours when your panels are producing.
- Keep panels clean - dust and shade quietly erode export units.
- Track your surplus every billing cycle so seasonal swings balance out across the year.
Rules where you live
Export credit is set nationally or by your utility, and it has changed recently in a lot of places. These guides cover what currently applies:
- Pakistan - green meter registers, DISCOs and the 2026 net billing rules
- LESCO, IESCO, MEPCO, FESCO and K-Electric - net metering calculators by company
- اردو میں نیٹ میٹر کیلکولیٹر
- Pakistan - NEPRA's 2026 move to net billing
- India - state DISCOM rules and PM Surya Ghar
- United States - NEM 3.0 and net billing by state
- United Kingdom - the Smart Export Guarantee
- Philippines - RA 9513 and Meralco credits
- Every other country - the full comparison
Questions
Net metering, answered
What is net metering?
Net metering is a billing arrangement that credits solar owners for the surplus electricity they export to the grid. Those credits offset the electricity you import, lowering your bill.
How is my net surplus calculated?
Net surplus = (solar export after the deduction percentage) − (off-peak import + peak import) + your previous surplus. A positive result is a credit; a negative result is the amount you owe.
What do the meter registers #5, #6 and #8 mean?
On a bidirectional (net) meter - common in Pakistan - register #8 is off-peak import, #6 is peak import and #5 is off-peak export. Enter each reading into its matching field.
What is register 8 on a green meter?
Register #8 is your off-peak import: the total units you have drawn from the grid during off-peak hours since the meter was installed. It is a running total, not a monthly figure, so subtract the off-peak units printed on your last bill to get this cycle’s usage.
How do I calculate LESCO register 5 and 6 readings?
The method is the same for LESCO, IESCO, MEPCO, GEPCO and K-Electric. Read register #6 (peak import) and #5 (off-peak export) off the meter, subtract the matching figures from your last bill, and you have the units used and exported this cycle. Enter both here and the calculator nets them against register #8 and any surplus carried forward.
Is a green meter the same as a net meter?
Yes. “Green meter” is the everyday name in Pakistan and India for the bidirectional net meter a utility installs when you go solar. Net meter, netmeter and green meter all describe the same device; only the billing scheme attached to it differs.
Does this work under Pakistan’s 2026 net billing rules?
Yes. Switch the billing scheme to “Net billing” and enter your off-peak rate, peak rate and buyback rate. The calculator prices your imports and exports separately, shows your estimated bill, and tells you how much more the same exports would have earned under the old 1:1 net metering. The registers and the unit arithmetic are unchanged by NEPRA’s Prosumer Regulations 2026.
What is the difference between the net metering and net billing modes?
In net metering mode every exported unit cancels an imported unit, so one unit price values the balance and unused units carry forward. In net billing mode imports are charged at your retail rates and exports are paid at a lower buyback rate, so the result is a bill amount rather than a unit balance.
Is my data stored anywhere?
No. Every calculation runs entirely in your browser and is saved only to your own device’s local storage. Nothing is uploaded to a server.
Does a positive surplus mean free electricity?
A positive surplus means you exported more than you imported, earning credits you can carry forward. Fixed charges, taxes and meter rent may still apply on your bill.
Learn the rules behind the numbers
Policy updates, savings guides and myth-busting - straight from our solar blog.