As the solar energy is gaining popularity in Pakistan, many homes and businesses are installing green meters or net meters. The meters will help consumers save money by measuring both the electricity they use from the grid and the extra electricity their solar systems feed back into it.
If you have recently installed a solar system, understanding your MEPCO Green Meter bill is important. Many consumers are unsure how green meters work, how to check their bills online or how to understand the import and export units shown on the bill.
This guide explains everything in simple language, making it easy for anyone to understand their MEPCO Green Meter bill and check it online.
What Is a MEPCO Green Meter?
A MEPCO Green Meter is a digital electricity meter installed for consumers who have an approved solar net metering connection. Unlike a regular electricity meter, a green meter measures electricity flowing in two directions.
It says this:
- Import Units: Electricity Imported from MEPCO grid.
- Export Units: Extra electricity generated by your solar panels that is sent back to the national grid.
This two-way measurement will allow MEPCO to better measure your electricity usage and apply the proper net metering rules.
How Does a Green Meter Work?
The green meter operates in conjunction with your solar power system for effective management of electricity supply.
In sunny conditions, your solar panels will produce electricity that will be used by your house first to run various devices like fans, lights, refrigerators and air conditioners. In case your solar panels generate electricity exceeding your needs, the excess units will be automatically sent to the electricity grid.
During night time or cloudy conditions where solar energy is limited, your house will consume the electricity provided by MEPCO. The green meter maintains a separate account of the number of units being imported and exported during the billing period.
This ensures proper billing and allows consumers to make good use of electricity coming from solar panels.
Benefits of a MEPCO Green Meter
Installing a green meter has a lot of benefits both for residential and commercial consumers.
Reduce Electricity Bills
One of the biggest benefits is lower electric bills each month. By generating your own electricity, you rely less on grid power which can significantly lower your bill.
Better Use of Solar Energy
To prevent the wastage of your electricity, your solar system sends it back to the national grid. This makes your solar investment more efficient.
Environmentally Friendly
To generate the energy from solar Power is the clean way of generating electricity. With the use of a green meter, there would be an environmentally friendly generation of energy and reduction of carbon footprints.
Transparent Billing
The fact that the meter tracks imported and exported electricity separately means that people can understand how their bills are calculated each month.
Long-Term Savings
While there is an initial cost in setting up solar energy, in many cases people recoup their cost in reduced bills for electricity.
Difference Between a Normal Meter and a Green Meter
| Feature | Normal Meter | Green Meter |
|---|---|---|
| Measures Imported Electricity | ✔ Yes | ✔ Yes |
| Measures Exported Electricity | ✘ No | ✔ Yes |
| Suitable for Solar Systems | ✘ No | ✔ Yes |
| Supports Net Metering | ✘ No | ✔ Yes |
| Digital Reading | Sometimes | ✔ Yes |
A normal electricity meter only records the electricity you consume from the grid. A green meter records both the electricity you consume and the electricity your solar system exports.
How to Check Your MEPCO Green Meter Bill Online
Checking your MEPCO Green Meter bill online is quick and simple. It is similar to the process of viewing the MEPCO electricity bill.
Do the following:
- Visit a MEPCO online bill site.
- Enter the 14-digit Reference Number or 10-digit Customer ID from any of your previous electricity bill.
- Click the Check Bill button.
- Your latest Green Meter bill will appear on the screen.
- You can download, save or print the duplicate bill whenever you need it.
If you have not received your printed bill or need another copy for your records, it is helpful to view your bill online.
From where Can You Find the Reference Number?
Your Reference Number and Customer ID is printed on all MEPCO electricity bills.
- Reference Number: A unique 14-digit number which identifies your electricity supply.
- Customer ID: A 10-digit unique number that can also be used to find your bill online.
Store one of your previous bills in a safe place so that you can use these numbers at any time.
Understanding Your Green Meter Bill
Your MEPCO Green Meter bill contains a lot of useful information that will help you understand your electricity consumption.
Import Units
These are the units of electricity you consumed from the MEPCO grid when your solar system was not producing enough.
Export Units
These are the extra units generated by your solar system and supplied back to the electricity grid.
Peak and Off-Peak Units
Others divide electricity consumption into Peak Hours and Off-Peak Hours. In peak hours, the cost of electricity is relatively high since demand is high in these hours.
Billing Period
This section shows the dates during which your electricity usage was recorded.
Due Date
The due date tells you the last day to pay your electricity bill without additional late payment charges.
Why You Should Check Your Green Meter Bill Regularly?
This is how reviewing your help you:
- Check the performance of your solar system.
- Compare imported and exported units.
- Detects abnormal electricity consumption spikes.
- Look at your monthly bills.
- Note down the electricity cost savings.
Monitoring may also be used to check for unusual electricity usage changes.
Common Problems While Checking the Bill Online
Sometimes consumers may face issues while checking their Green Meter bill online.
The most common reasons include:
- Invalid Reference Number entered.
- Entering incorrect Customer ID.
- Temporary website maintenance.
- Slow internet connection.
- Recently issued bills that have not yet been uploaded.
In case your bill does not show up, re-check your information and retry after sometime.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Green Meter different from a normal electricity meter?
Yes. The Green Meter will measure the import and export of electricity. A normal meter will only measure the electricity you consume from the grid.
Can I download a duplicate Green Meter bill?
Yes. After entering your Reference Number or Customer ID, you can view, download and print a duplicate copy of your latest bill.
Is online bill checking free?
Yes. You can view and download your MEPCO Green Meter bill online free of charge.
Why have separate import and export units?
The meter measures electricity going both ways so it shows them separately. This information is used when calculating your monthly bill under the applicable billing rules.
What should I do if my bill is not showing online?
Please ensure you have entered the correct Reference Number or Customer ID. If the issue still continues you can try again later or contact MEPCO customer support.
The MEPCO Green Meter shall help the solar customer in tracking his electricity consumption and optimizing his renewable energy resources. The meter will keep a record of the quantity of electricity that he consumes and produces, so he will be able to gain insight into the calculation of his monthly bill.
Checking your MEPCO Green Meter bill online is fast and easy. Check your latest bill, download a copy and view your electricity usage from anywhere using your Reference Number or Customer ID. It's also a good idea to review your bill periodically to track how your solar system is performing and the accuracy of your billing information.
If you have recently started being a solar customer or have been using net metering for some time now, knowing about your Green Meter bill may prove useful to you.
