TL;DR: BESCOM net metering lets your Bangalore rooftop solar system export surplus electricity to the grid and receive credit against your bill, through a bidirectional meter that BESCOM installs after commissioning. On a BESCOM net-metered connection, exported units are credited against imported units, so you pay only for your net consumption. Your MNRE-registered installer files the net metering application with BESCOM in your name as part of the installation.
BESCOM net metering lets your Bangalore rooftop solar system export surplus electricity to the grid and receive credit against your bill, through a bidirectional meter that BESCOM installs after commissioning.
What BESCOM Net Metering Is
A normal electricity meter only counts electricity flowing into your home. A net meter is bidirectional - it counts both directions. When your rooftop panels generate more than the house is using (typically midday), the surplus flows out to the BESCOM grid and the meter records it as export. When you draw from the grid (at night, or on a cloudy day), it records import.
At billing, BESCOM nets the two: exported units are credited against imported units, so you pay only for your net consumption. For an on-grid residential system in Bangalore, net metering is what turns daytime surplus into bill savings - without it, that midday surplus is simply lost.
For the general mechanics of how net metering earns you money across India, see our full net metering guide.
The BESCOM Net Metering Application Process, Step by Step
- 1
Install and commission the system
An MNRE-registered installer designs and installs the rooftop system.
- 2
Submit the net metering application to BESCOM
The installer files it in your name, with the required documents.
- 3
Feasibility approval and agreement
BESCOM reviews feasibility and issues the net metering agreement.
- 4
Bidirectional meter installation
BESCOM installs a bidirectional meter that records both import and export.
- 5
Commissioning and credit activation
Once commissioned and grid-connected, exported units start being credited on your bill.
Incomplete paperwork is the single most common cause of delay. This is why most Bangalore homeowners have the installer handle the entire BESCOM filing rather than doing it themselves.
Arkahub handles the full BESCOM process as part of every Bangalore installation.
How Credits and Karnataka Policy Work
Under Karnataka's rooftop solar policy, residential on-grid systems connected through BESCOM are eligible for net metering, and the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana subsidy of up to ₹78,000 applies to systems installed through MNRE-registered vendors. Credits from exported units are adjusted on your BESCOM bill against the units you import.
The practical result for a correctly sized Bangalore home system: daytime generation offsets daytime use, and exported surplus offsets night-time draw through credits, bringing the net payable bill down substantially - often close to zero for a well-sized system on a shade-free roof.
