Net metering meter cost in Lahore 2026

The short answer

For a normal Lahore house on a single phase connection, budget PKR 55,000 to PKR 70,000 for the bi-directional meter supplied and installed. Three phase pushes that to PKR 110,000 to PKR 145,000. Add processing and paperwork and the whole net metering exercise lands between PKR 85,000 and PKR 180,000 depending on phase.

That number surprises people who were told net metering is free. It is not free. It is also not optional if you want export credit against your LESCO bill.

Meter hardware pricing

Meter type	Typical use	Price range 2026
Single phase bi-directional, 10-60A	Homes up to 5 kW, 5 marla and small 10 marla	PKR 55,000 to 70,000
Three phase whole current, 10-100A	10 kW to 15 kW homes	PKR 110,000 to 145,000
Three phase CT operated	Above 25 kW, commercial	PKR 165,000 to 240,000 with CTs
Meter box and sealing kit	All	PKR 4,000 to 9,000

Prices moved up through 2025 as import costs rose and have been flat since January 2026. If a quote shows PKR 30,000 for a single phase bi-directional meter, it is either an old quote or an old meter.

LESCO demand notice versus open market price

Two routes exist and they behave differently.

Through the LESCO demand notice

After your application clears technical scrutiny, the sub-division issues a demand notice listing the meter cost and processing charges. You pay it at the designated bank, hand in the receipt, and the metering wing draws a meter from stores. This is the clean route. The meter is already an approved model, already tested, and the responsibility for a faulty unit sits with LESCO.

The catch is stock. When store stock is short, the demand notice is issued and then the meter takes another three to six weeks to appear. We have seen files in Wapda Town sit at exactly this stage while everything else was complete.

Consumer supplied meter

Some sub-divisions will accept a meter the consumer buys from an approved vendor, subject to testing at the LESCO meter testing lab and sealing by their staff. This can be faster and occasionally a little cheaper. It also means a faulty meter is your problem and your replacement cost.

Never buy a used bi-directional meter. Refurbished units float around Hall Road at half price and they fail the accuracy test at the lab, at which point you have paid twice.

Who is allowed to install it

Only LESCO metering staff. Your solar installer prepares the metering board, provides the isolation point, and makes sure the incoming and outgoing cable lengths reach comfortably. Then the LESCO team removes the old meter, records its final reading, fits the bi-directional unit, and applies a numbered seal.

If any contractor offers to fit the meter themselves to save you time, walk away. A meter installed outside the utility process is an unmetered connection in LESCO's eyes, and the detection bill that follows will dwarf whatever you saved. This is the single most expensive mistake we see people talked into.

The charges nobody puts in the first quote

• Application processing fee. A few thousand rupees at filing, varies by sub-division.
• Load enhancement security. If your sanctioned load is below your system size, the enhancement carries a per kW security deposit. On a 5 kW jump this is often PKR 25,000 to 45,000.
• Meter board rework. Older houses in Mughalpura, Shad Bagh, and inner Cantt frequently have the meter inside a cramped wooden box that will not take the newer unit. Rebuilding the board runs PKR 8,000 to 15,000.
• Service cable upgrade. A three phase change means a new service cable from the pole. Charged per metre.
• Paperwork and follow up. We charge PKR 15,000 for the whole chain through our net metering service. Others quote lower and then hand you the file at the first objection.

How to check a demand notice before you pay it

The demand notice is a printed sheet with a reference number, the sub-division name, the meter class, and a total payable. Four things are worth checking before you walk to the bank. First, the meter class on the notice should match your connection, single phase whole current for a normal house, three phase for an upgraded connection. A three phase charge on a single phase house is a clerical error and it happens. Second, the security deposit line should only appear if you actually applied for load enhancement. Third, the notice carries a validity, usually thirty days, and an expired notice has to be reissued, which costs another visit. Fourth, the bank branch is named on the notice and payment anywhere else will not be traced to your file.

Pay by bank challan, keep the customer copy, and photograph it. If you are using the consumer supplied route instead, the meter goes to the LESCO meter testing lab first and the testing and sealing charge is separate from the purchase price. Budget PKR 3,000 to 6,000 for it and expect a wait of one to two weeks for a slot in peak season, which in Lahore means March through June when installation volumes climb.

What the whole thing costs, end to end

Line item	Single phase, 5 kW	Three phase, 10 kW
Bi-directional meter	PKR 62,000	PKR 128,000
Meter box and sealing	PKR 6,000	PKR 9,000
Processing fee	PKR 5,000	PKR 8,000
Paperwork and follow up	PKR 15,000	PKR 15,000
Load enhancement, if needed	PKR 0 to 35,000	PKR 30,000 to 60,000
Realistic total	PKR 88,000 to 123,000	PKR 190,000 to 220,000

Set against a complete 5 kW hybrid plus battery install at roughly PKR 700,000 to 900,000, or a 10 kW hybrid build at PKR 1,400,000 to 2,200,000, the metering side is roughly ten percent of the project. Not trivial, not the main event.

When you pay for a meter a second time

Three situations bring the cost back.

1. Meter burnt or damaged. Lahore's summer voltage swings and monsoon water ingress into old meter boxes do take units out. Replacement is charged to the consumer unless the fault is proven to be manufacturing.
2. System upgrade beyond the sanctioned capacity. Adding panels later, say going from 5 kW to 8 kW, means a fresh application and often a fresh meter class.
3. Single phase to three phase change. The old single phase bi-directional meter has no resale value to you and the new one is bought at full price.

That third point is why sizing correctly at the start matters more than it looks. Somebody who installs 3 kW now and knows they will want 8 kW in two years is better off doing the load and phase work once. Run the numbers through the calculator before ordering.

The honest caveat

Under the 2026 prosumer regime, exported units earn far less than imported units cost. Spending PKR 120,000 on metering to sell surplus at a low buyback rate makes weak sense for a house that already runs a battery and consumes almost everything it makes. For those homes the money is better spent on storage, and lithium battery pricing or a properly sized bank gives a faster return than a meter that exports 60 units a month.

Net metering earns its keep on daytime-empty houses with large roofs and modest storage, and on on-grid builds without batteries at all. For everyone else, do the arithmetic first. Our 2026 payback article and the policy changes writeup cover the current rates in detail.

Homes across DHA, Model Town, Wapda Town, and Bahria Town are all inside our regular working area, and the survey covers the meter position and board condition before any quote is issued.