Net metering is the arrangement that makes grid-connected rooftop solar worth installing. Your meter counts in both directions. Solar you use directly reduces what you draw from the grid, and surplus you export is credited against what you import. At billing time you pay the net difference plus fixed charges. This is why most homes skip batteries entirely: the grid effectively acts as your storage, at no capital cost. It is also mandatory for the subsidy. Off-grid systems are explicitly excluded from PM Surya Ghar. If a salesperson offers you an off-grid or battery-only setup and implies you will still receive the central subsidy, that is wrong, and it is worth walking away from the conversation. Delhi NCR spans three regulatory regimes, which is why your neighbour's experience may not match yours. In Delhi, supply comes through the Delhi DISCOMs and the state adds its own subsidy on top of the central amount. Some sources also describe a generation-based incentive paid per unit generated for smaller systems, which over several years can add a meaningful sum. Confirm the current position with your DISCOM, because incentive structures of this kind are periodically revised. In Haryana, covering Faridabad and Gurugram, net metering is governed by the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission and applies through UHBVN or DHBVN depending on your area. Surplus generation is exported and credited against consumption, monthly surplus credits carry forward, and any remaining surplus at annual settlement is compensated at a rate the commission sets. That annual settlement rate is typically lower than the retail tariff you pay, which is another reason not to grossly oversize. In Uttar Pradesh, covering Noida and Ghaziabad, the process runs through UPNEDA and your local DISCOM. Net metering is allowed up to your sanctioned load, with monthly settlement and an annual true-up. UP also offers a state subsidy of roughly Rs 15,000 per kW capped near Rs 30,000, which stacks on the central amount. One quirk of Gurugram worth flagging. In some private developer townships and gated communities, electricity is supplied through a private management company rather than directly by the DISCOM. If your bill does not come from UHBVN or DHBVN, the standard net-metering route may not apply to you in the usual way. Ask your society management how solar applications are handled for your specific arrangement before you get quotes, because this can change both the process and the timeline substantially. What net metering does not do. It does not keep your lights on during a power cut. Grid-tied systems shut down automatically when the grid goes down, and this is deliberate: it protects linemen working on what should be a dead line. If riding through cuts matters to you, that requires a hybrid inverter and a battery, which is a separate and unsubsidised expense. Practical things to get in writing. Confirm your installer is filing the net-metering application as part of their scope, because some quotations exclude it and you discover this only afterwards. Ask what happens if feasibility approval is refused. And ask for the expected timeline for meter installation, since this step is often where the wait sits. The paperwork sequence in all three states follows the same shape even though the bodies differ: apply on the national portal, obtain feasibility approval, install using a registered vendor, apply for the net meter, undergo DISCOM inspection and commissioning, then receive the subsidy by direct transfer around 30 to 45 days later. Where the states genuinely differ is in the top-up subsidy available and in local processing speed. Rules and rates in this area are revised periodically by each state commission. Everything here reflects the position in mid-2026. Confirm specifics with your own DISCOM before committing, and treat any installer who cannot explain the net-metering process for your particular area as a reason to get another quote.
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Last updated 24 July 2026 · Reviewed by the RenSetu team