Net Metering Rules in 2026: What’s Changed State by State

Net metering — the mechanism that lets rooftop solar owners export surplus electricity back to the grid in exchange for bill credits — remains one of the most important, and most confusing, parts of going solar in India. Because electricity is a state subject, net metering rules, capacity limits, and DISCOM procedures vary significantly depending on where you live.

In most states, residential rooftop systems up to a certain capacity (commonly around 10 kW, though this varies) qualify for standard net metering, where the DISCOM installs a bidirectional meter that nets your consumption against your solar export over a billing cycle. Some states have moved toward gross metering models instead, where all solar generation is purchased separately from your consumption — a distinction that changes how quickly a rooftop system pays for itself.

States like Chhattisgarh have refined their net metering procedures in 2026 to reduce the approval timeline between application and DISCOM inspection, a change that has been welcomed by installers who previously cited delays as a major bottleneck for residential adoption. Elsewhere, several states have revised their sanctioned-load rules to make it easier for larger residential and small commercial systems to qualify for net metering without additional load-enhancement paperwork.

For homeowners, the practical takeaway is this: before finalising a rooftop solar system size, check your local DISCOM’s current net metering capacity cap and application process, since this directly affects how much of your system’s output you can bank as bill credit versus how much simply offsets real-time consumption.

Our Policy & Schemes section tracks state-specific net metering updates as they’re notified — check back as more states finalise their revised 2026 rules.