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KSEB Net Metering: The Complete Step-by-Step Process
Every form, every fee, every waiting period — the real path from application to bi-directional meter, based on installations we have commissioned across Kottayam, Idukki and Ernakulam.
Most Kerala homeowners understand what solar does. Far fewer understand what KSEB needs from them before it will connect. The paperwork is where installations stall — usually for weeks, occasionally for months, and almost always because a form went in incomplete.
This guide walks the entire net metering process end to end, in the order it actually happens. No jargon, no skipped steps, and honest waiting times rather than optimistic ones.
Start Here
What net metering actually does
Your panels generate the most electricity in the middle of the day, which is usually when your house is using the least. Net metering is the arrangement that stops that surplus going to waste.
Excess generation flows out to the KSEB grid and is credited to your account. At night, or during a heavy monsoon week, you draw back from the grid as normal. A bi-directional meter records both directions, and you are billed only on the difference — the "net" figure.
Without net metering, surplus generation is simply lost. The meter is not an optional extra or an upsell. It is the thing that makes the economics of rooftop solar work in Kerala.
2026 Update
What changed on 1 January 2026
The Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission notified new Renewable Energy Regulations in 2025. They took effect on 6 November 2025, with the revised billing arrangement applying from 1 January 2026.
For a typical household installing 3 kW or less, the day-to-day experience is unchanged: you export, you get credited, you settle annually. The changes matter most if you are considering a larger system, or if you already own one and are planning to expand it.
Before you size a system, ask your installer to confirm the current capacity limit in writing. The rules changed recently and a good deal of published information has not caught up. Sizing a system past the limit and discovering it at the feasibility stage costs weeks.
Our Work Process
The nine steps, in order
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Check your consumption and your roof
Pull out twelve months of KSEB bills and total the units. That number, not your roof size, decides your system capacity. Then confirm you have shadow-free roof area — roughly 300–350 sq ft for a 3 kW system.
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Register on the national portal
Go to pmsuryaghar.gov.in, select Kerala and KSEB as your distribution company, and register using the consumer number printed on your bill along with your mobile number. This is the subsidy application, and it must be done before installation begins.
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Submit Annexure-A to your KSEB section office
The net metering application proper. Annexure-A goes to the section office that serves your connection, with the application fee. Keep the stamped acknowledgement — you will need it to chase the file later.
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Technical feasibility check
KSEB assesses whether your local transformer can accept the export. This is the step that quietly fails for homes on heavily loaded distribution transformers, so do not order equipment until it clears.
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Register on the KSEB ekiran portal
Once feasibility is approved, your application moves to the ekiran portal, where documents are uploaded and status can be tracked online rather than by phoning the section office.
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Installation
Panels, inverter, mounting structure, earthing and the solar priority switch. A typical 3 kW residential job takes one to two days on site once materials are delivered.
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KSEB inspection
A technical officer visits to verify the installation meets safety and grid standards. Your installer should be present. If something needs correcting, it is far quicker to fix it while the officer is standing there than to schedule a second visit.
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Bi-directional meter installed
KSEB replaces your existing meter. Net metering billing starts from the date this meter goes live — not from the date your panels were installed, which is a distinction worth understanding before you compare bills.
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Claim the subsidy
Upload the commissioning certificate and a cancelled cheque to the national portal. The central subsidy is credited directly to your bank account.
Realistic total: 45 to 60 days from Annexure-A to a live bi-directional meter, assuming your documents are complete and your transformer has headroom. Rural connections and monsoon months tend toward the longer end. Anyone promising two weeks is telling you what you want to hear.
Before You Apply
Documents to have ready
Applications stall far more often for missing paperwork than for technical reasons. Gather all of this before you start:
- Recent KSEB electricity bill showing your consumer number
- Proof of ownership of the property — tax receipt or title deed
- Aadhaar and PAN of the registered consumer
- Bank passbook or cancelled cheque, in the same name as the electricity connection
- Passport-size photograph
- Recent photographs of the proposed roof area
The single most common blocker: the electricity connection is in a parent's or grandparent's name, while the bank account belongs to someone else. KSEB and the subsidy portal both require these to match. If your connection needs a name transfer, start that first — it adds weeks if discovered halfway through.
After Commissioning
How your bill works once solar is live
Exported units are credited against imported units on each bill. Because Kerala's generation swings hard across the year, those credits are allowed to accumulate — a strong February and March offset a weak July and August.
KSEB then settles the account annually. If you finish the settlement year with surplus banked units, they are paid out at a KSERC-approved rate — considerably lower than the retail tariff you would otherwise pay for the same unit.
| Period | Conditions | Units / day |
|---|---|---|
| January – March | Peak generation, clear skies | 13–15 |
| April – May | High irradiance, heat losses | 12–14 |
| June – August | South-west monsoon | 5–8 |
| September – December | Recovering, intermittent rain | 9–12 |
Indicative figures for a 3 kW system in central Kerala. Actual output depends on roof orientation, tilt, shading and panel technology.
Why this matters when sizing. Building a system to cover your January consumption leaves you badly short through the monsoon. Building it to cover August means exporting heavily for eight months and being paid a low rate for the privilege. Sizing against annual consumption, not a single month, is what separates a system that pays back from one that disappoints.
Avoid These
Why applications get rejected
In our experience across South India, most rejections trace back to a handful of avoidable causes:
- Name mismatch between the electricity connection, property documents and bank account.
- Installation started before feasibility approval. The subsidy requires approval first; commissioning early can disqualify the claim entirely.
- Vendor not registered on the PM Surya Ghar national portal. Verify registration before signing anything.
- Transformer capacity exhausted in your locality — nothing you can do about it, but far better to learn it at feasibility than after paying an advance.
- A previous subsidy claim already made against the same property.
Common Questions
Frequently asked
How long does KSEB net metering take end to end?
Typically 45 to 60 days from Annexure-A submission to a live bi-directional meter, provided documents are complete. Rural connections and monsoon-season applications often run longer.
Can I apply for net metering myself, or do I need an installer?
You can file it yourself. Most homeowners choose not to, because the technical annexures require system drawings and specifications. We file and follow up on the application as part of every installation.
Does KSEB pay cash for the electricity I export?
Not month to month. Exported units are credited against your consumption and carried forward. Any surplus remaining at the annual settlement is paid at a KSERC-approved rate, which is lower than the retail tariff.
What roof area do I need for a 3 kW system?
Roughly 300 to 350 square feet of shadow-free area. Sloped tile roofs common to older Kerala homes are workable but need a mounting approach suited to the tile profile.
Can I run an air conditioner on a 3 kW system?
On a clear day a 3 kW system generates around 12 to 14 units, enough for a 1.5-ton AC for several hours alongside normal lighting and fans. Monsoon output is substantially lower, so plan around the annual average rather than a good day.
What happens to net metering if I sell the house?
The net metering agreement follows the electricity connection. When the connection is transferred to the new owner, the arrangement transfers with it — but the transfer has to be completed properly at the section office.
Not sure where your application stands?
We have handled net metering paperwork for more than 500 installations across Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Free site evaluation, honest sizing, and the paperwork handled for you.
Request a free site evaluation Call +91 99467 59777