Net metering application steps for rooftop solar

What net metering is

Power the system exports is adjusted against power the customer draws from the grid, and a meter that records both directions keeps the account. The meter and the agreement come from the DISCOM.

It applies to a grid-connected system. An off-grid system has nothing to meter, and the glossary entry on net metering explains the idea in more detail.

Who applies and in what order

Under PM Surya Ghar, the net meter is requested through the portal after the plant details are submitted. The distribution company then fits the meter, inspects the plant and approves the details, and a commissioning certificate follows.

Outside the scheme, the application goes to the DISCOM by its own process. Some DISCOMs ask for a feasibility check, an agreement and fees at different points, so confirm the order with the one that serves the site.

• Application to the DISCOM, through the portal where the scheme applies.
• Any feasibility step the DISCOM or the regulator requires.
• Installation and request for the meter.
• Meter fitted, agreement signed and inspection done.
• Commissioning, and a record the customer can keep.

Where the rules come from

The Ministry of Power's consumer rights rules set a central framework, and they have been amended and further changes have been proposed. The state electricity regulator then issues the working regulation, so net metering terms, limits and timelines differ by state.

Treat a timeline or capacity limit you read in an article as a lead to check. Do not print one in a quotation unless you have read it from the regulator or the DISCOM.

What your quotation should say

Say who files the application, who pays any DISCOM fee, who attends the meter fitting and what document the customer receives when net metering starts. Leave dates and charges out unless they come from the DISCOM.

If the customer is paying in stages, tie the commissioning payment to the stage the DISCOM controls, as the payment terms guide describes.

Step by step

1. 1

   Find the DISCOM and its procedure

   Identify the distribution company that serves the site and read its net metering procedure.

2. 2

   Check the regulator's rules

   Read the state regulator's rooftop solar regulation for forms, fees and limits.

3. 3

   Make the application

   File it through the portal where the scheme applies, or through the DISCOM's own process.

4. 4

   Arrange the meter and agreement

   Support the meter fitting and the signing of the agreement.

5. 5

   Keep the commissioning record

   Give the customer the document that shows net metering has started.

Common mistakes

• Printing an approval time from an article

  The regulator and the DISCOM set it, and it has been changing, so read it from them.

• Assuming every state has the same rules

  Forms, fees and limits differ by state regulator.

• Leaving DISCOM fees out of the quotation

  A fee nobody mentioned becomes a dispute at commissioning.

• Calling the job finished at meter fitting

  The agreement and the inspection still follow, so list them as separate stages.

What to check before you send

• You know which DISCOM serves the site
• You read the state regulator's regulation or the DISCOM's procedure, not a summary
• The quotation names who applies and who pays any fee
• No approval time or capacity limit is printed without a source
• Agreement, meter and commissioning are listed as separate stages
• The customer knows which document shows net metering has started

Sources

• PM Surya Ghar scheme note (Press Information Bureau), read 13 Oct 2026
• JBVNL procedure for PM Surya Ghar (one DISCOM's meter and commissioning steps), read 13 Oct 2026
• Mercom report on amendments to the Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules (trade report, not yet checked by us against the rules text)