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SolarRates.pk

How we collect prices

SolarRates.pk publishes only prices observed on public listings from Pakistani dealers and marketplaces. Every price is stored with its source, URL and the time it was checked (Pakistan time), building a price history.

Cleaning

  • Brand and wattage are normalised from listing titles (e.g. "Jinko Tiger Neo 585W").
  • Panel prices quoted per watt are converted to per-panel prices and vice-versa.
  • Implausible values (e.g. panel prices outside Rs 8–200/W) are rejected as scraping errors.
  • Daily ranges are the minimum, average and maximum of that day's listings in Pakistan time.

No invented prices

If we have no fresh data for a product, the page says "Prices updating soon" instead of showing an estimate. The only non-scraped numbers on the site are clearly labelled assumptions, such as the installation cost of Rs 18–30/W used in system estimates.

How the solar calculator works

The solar calculator uses a few simple formulas. Every figure below lives in one settings file, so you can always see what it assumes.

  1. Daily units = the sum of (watts × number of appliances × hours a day × duty cycle) ÷ 1000. The duty cycle allows for appliances whose motor switches on and off. For example, a fridge runs about 40% of the time, a deep freezer about 45%, a water dispenser's heater about 20% and a normal AC about 80%.
  2. System size (kW) = daily units ÷ 3.6. In Pakistan, 1 kW of panels makes about 3.6 units a day after losses. We round up to the next 0.5 kW, with a minimum of 1 kW. We size for summer, when use is highest.
  3. Panels = system watts ÷ 585 W, rounded up. Roof space = panels × 3.1 m².
  4. Peak load = everything that is likely to run at the same time: all cooling, lights, work and entertainment items and fridges, plus the single biggest kitchen or laundry appliance.
  5. Inverter = the largest of three numbers: peak load × 1.25, the biggest start-up surge (3× running watts for motors and pumps, 2× for compressors) or the system size. We then round up to a standard size of 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 kW.
  6. Batteries (load-shedding and off-grid only) = backup watts × backup hours ÷ (0.9 usable depth × 0.9 efficiency) ÷ 1000, in units (kWh). Divide by 5.12 for one 51.2 V 100 Ah LiFePO4 battery and round up. For off-grid homes, we size for the night (6 pm to 7 am).
  7. Cost = panel watts × the live panel Rs/W range (20th–80th percentile), plus the live price range for that inverter size, plus the live battery price range × battery count, plus Rs 18–30/W for structure, wiring and labour. If live prices are missing for a part, the calculator shows "Price data unavailable" and no total.
  8. Savings: we work out the full bill before and after solar with the same function as our bill calculator, including fixed charges, the FC surcharge, GST and minimum charges (see bill estimates below).
    • Solar first: daytime use is covered by the panels first. Night-time use (6 pm to 7 am) and any daytime shortfall is bought from the grid. With batteries (load-shedding goal), surplus daytime units charge the batteries for the night first.
    • Exports: new connections are on NEPRA net billing, so units sent to the grid are credited at Rs 8.13 each. The credit reduces the energy charge for the units you buy; any extra is carried forward or paid back.
    • Sanctioned load: because the system can't be bigger than your sanctioned load, we raise the load to the system size where needed. That can change your fixed charges, and 5 kW or more moves you to time-of-use rates.
    • Yearly saving and payback: the yearly saving averages 6 summer and 6 winter months. Payback is the middle of the cost range divided by the yearly saving. These are estimates.

Electricity bill estimates

Bill estimates (the bill calculator and the solar calculator) use NEPRA's uniform domestic tariff, S.R.O. 279(I)/2026: NEPRA decision on rationalization of consumer-end tariff for XWDISCOs & K-Electric (TRF-100) (decision dated 2026-02-11). We checked the rates against the IESCO tariff guide. Every other charge, and where it comes from:

  • Energy charge: slab rates. Un-protected consumers pay the rate of the slab their monthly total falls in on every unit, so crossing a slab raises the whole bill. Protected consumers get the benefit of one previous slab.
  • Fixed charges: Rs 200–675 per kW of sanctioned load, depending on the slab. From 5 kW, time-of-use rates apply: Rs 46.85 peak and Rs 34.53 off-peak, with Rs 675/kW on 50% of the load. The peak window is 4 hours a day (LESCO). When we don't know your peak units, we assume 4 of 24 hours.
  • Minimum charge: Rs 75 (single phase) or Rs 150 (three phase) a month where no per-kW fixed charge applies. It is never Rs 0.
  • FC surcharge: Rs 3.23/unit, the debt servicing surcharge (Power Division, Jan 2026). Protected consumers up to 200 units pay Rs 1.43 (2023 rule; not confirmed for 2026).
  • GST: 18% on the electricity charges plus the FC surcharge.
  • Income tax (s.235): 7.5% only if the bill-payer isn't on the Active Taxpayers List and the bill is Rs 25,000 or more. The solar calculator assumes a filer.
  • Removed or not included: the PTV fee (Rs 35) and provincial electricity duty were taken off bills from July 2025 (PTV fee, electricity duty). Some provinces objected, so you can enter a duty % in the bill calculator. Meter rent isn't in the NEPRA schedule, so it isn't included. Monthly fuel adjustments (FPA) and quarterly adjustments (QTA) change often, so you can enter them in the bill calculator.
  • Selling solar to the grid: under the NEPRA (Prosumer) Regulations 2026, new systems are on net billing. Units bought are charged at the tariff, and units exported earn the national average energy purchase price: Rs 8.13/unit for April–June 2026 (NEPRA S.R.O. 1501(I)/2026). Agreements signed before 9 Feb 2026 keep one-for-one net metering until they expire. NEPRA can change the export rate at any time.