Sri Lanka's Three Solar Schemes: Net Metering, Net Accounting and Net Plus

Most countries assign you one solar billing scheme. Sri Lanka offers three, lets you choose, and permits a one-time migration between them.

That makes it unusually interesting - and it means the choice itself is a decision worth getting right, because the three schemes suit genuinely different households.

Tariffs and scheme terms are set by the regulator (PUCSL) and administered by CEB and LECO, and they are revised periodically. Confirm current rates before choosing.

The three schemes

1. Net Metering - bank units, get no cash

The classic 1:1 arrangement. Exported units offset imported units. Surplus is banked as units and carried forward - reportedly for up to ten years, which is exceptionally generous by international standards.

The catch: you are never paid money. Excess generation beyond your consumption has no cash value. It sits as a unit balance you can only spend by importing later.

Suits: households whose annual consumption roughly matches or exceeds their generation, and who want maximum protection against future tariff rises. Because you bank units, not rupees, your credit keeps pace if electricity prices go up.

2. Net Accounting - offset, then get paid for the rest

You offset your consumption first, then get paid for the surplus at a set export rate.

This is the middle path, and for most households with a well-sized system it is the pragmatic choice: you keep the full retail value of everything you offset, and you convert genuine excess into cash instead of banking it indefinitely.

Suits: households generating somewhat more than they consume, who would rather have money than an ever-growing unit balance.

3. Net Plus - sell everything, buy everything

Two separate meters. One measures everything you generate; the other measures everything you consume. The utility buys all your generation at a set rate, and you buy all your consumption at the retail tariff. Nothing is offset.

This is gross metering by another name. Self-consumption gains you nothing, because the flows never meet.

Suits: properties with large roof area relative to consumption - and only if the Net Plus purchase rate is attractive relative to the retail tariff. If the buy rate is below retail, Net Plus is usually the weakest option for a household that consumes a meaningful amount during daylight.

Choosing between them

The decision comes down to one ratio: how much do you generate relative to what you consume?

Your situation	Usually best
Generate less than you consume	Net Metering - you will offset everything anyway; banking protects against tariff rises
Generate slightly more than you consume	Net Accounting - offset first, cash for the remainder
Generate far more than you consume	Net Accounting or Net Plus, depending on the rates
Very low daytime consumption, large array	Net Plus - but check the rate carefully

Two further considerations:

Under Net Metering and Net Accounting, self-consumption is king. Every unit you use as you produce it is worth the full retail rate. Under Net Plus it makes no difference at all, because generation and consumption are metered separately.

Net Metering hedges tariff inflation. Banked units are worth whatever electricity costs when you eventually use them. Cash paid under Net Accounting is fixed at the moment you earn it. In an environment of rising tariffs, that hedge has real value.

The one-time migration

CEB and LECO rooftop customers are permitted a one-time move between the three schemes.

Because it is one-time, it is worth using deliberately rather than early. A sensible approach:

1. Run a full year on your initial scheme. Seasonal variation matters, and a few months is not enough to judge.
2. Total your actual export and your actual consumption over that year.
3. Model all three schemes against those real figures and current rates.
4. Then migrate, if the modelling justifies it.

The most common trigger for switching is a change in household consumption - children moving out, a move to electric cooking, or adding an EV - which can shift you across the boundary between schemes.

Working out which one suits you

The arithmetic is the same in all three cases; only the valuation differs. What you need is a reliable picture of your imports and exports across a full year.

Our free net metering calculator works in rupees and separates imports from exports, so you can track the real figures each cycle rather than estimating. For a walkthrough of taking the readings, see how to read your net meter.

Frequently asked questions

Which scheme is most popular? Net Accounting is generally the pragmatic default for households that export a modest surplus, because it offsets first and pays for the remainder.

Can I switch more than once? The published position is a one-time migration between schemes. Confirm current rules with CEB or LECO before relying on being able to switch again.

Does Net Plus need different hardware? Yes. Net Plus requires generation and consumption to be metered separately, so it involves a different metering arrangement from the single bidirectional meter used for the other two.

How long can I bank units under Net Metering? Reported terms allow banking for up to ten years, which is unusually long. Confirm the current position with your utility.

Is Sri Lanka moving away from net metering like other countries? Sri Lanka's three-scheme structure already gives the utility more control over export valuation than a pure 1:1 system does, so the pressure that drove change in Pakistan and California applies less directly. That said, rates are revised periodically - see net metering by country for the wider trend.