DERC issues seventh amendment to net metering guidelines

The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) has notified the Seventh Amendment to its Group Net Metering and Virtual Net Metering Guidelines. The amendment takes effect from the date of upload on the Commission website. It was signed on 20 January 2026 and revised provisions on applicability, billing credits, and infrastructure costs for renewable energy projects in the National Capital Territory of Delhi.

The amendment broadens the scope of Virtual Net Metering (VNM). Under the revised Guideline 3(2), VNM is now available to all consumers in Delhi, including consumers with a single point of supply.

DERC has also increased flexibility for consumers using VNM. As per Guideline 9(2)(b), consumers can revise their share of credits from a renewable energy system or add new service connections to an existing VNM arrangement up to twice in a financial year. This is subject to a two month advance notice.

A technical revision has been made to Guideline 9(2)(d). The term off peak time block has been replaced with normal time block for the relevant calculations.

The amendment also revises infrastructure cost provisions. Under Guideline 3(6), distribution companies (DISCOMs) are required to bear the capital expenditure for Service Line cum Development (SLD) and network augmentation for renewable energy projects under VNM and Group Net Metering. The obligation applies to BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL), Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL), BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL), and New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC). These costs are recoverable through the Aggregate Revenue Requirement (ARR).

The cost waiver is limited to the 11kV and below network. It is subject to cumulative capacity caps of 110 MW for BRPL, 100 MW for TPDDL, 30 MW for BYPL, and 10 MW for NDMC. The guidelines also require DISCOMs to submit quarterly progress reports covering all net metering schemes to the Commission and the Directorate of Energy Efficiency & Resource Mobilisation, Government of NCT of Delhi.

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