- West Bengal uses WBSEDCL statewide and CESC in the Kolkata licence area.
- WBERC caps grid injection at about 90% of the consumer's own consumption (estimate — verify with WBERC).
- The eastern states — Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha — each have their own DISCOMs and regulators.
- The DISCOM supplies and seals the bidirectional meter; the EPC does not.
- Every cap, fee and timeline here is an estimate — verify with the SERC and your DISCOM.
West Bengal net metering has one feature that catches EPCs out: a cap on how much you can inject to the grid, set at about 90% of the customer's own consumption. Size a system for pure export and WBSEDCL will pull it back. This guide covers the WBSEDCL net metering process, that injection cap, and a fast map of the neighbouring eastern states — with every figure flagged to verify.
West Bengal and the eastern region
Net metering lets a solar customer export surplus power to the grid and net it against the units they import, recorded by a bidirectional meter. Each State Electricity Regulatory Commission writes the rules and the local DISCOM runs the process. This guide leads with West Bengal, where WBERC sets an injection cap, then maps the eastern states so a multi-state EPC has one reference. For the national basics, see the net metering process guide.
West Bengal: WBSEDCL and CESC
West Bengal has two distribution licensees. WBSEDCL serves most of the state, and CESC serves the Kolkata licence area. You apply to whichever DISCOM serves the consumer connection — the bill tells you which one. Both run under the WBERC regulation.
Service areas are indicative. Confirm your DISCOM from the consumer bill.
The 90% injection cap explained
West Bengal caps the energy a net-metering consumer can inject to the grid at around 90% of their own annual consumption. In plain terms, the system is meant to offset the customer's own use, not to run as a pure export plant. This injection limit is an estimate set by WBERC — verify the current cap with WBERC and your DISCOM, because it changes with orders.
What it means for sizing
The 90% cap changes how you size a system in West Bengal. If a customer uses 10,000 units a year, the design should target self-consumption with export staying under the cap, or the surplus above the limit may not be credited. Size to the load, check the customer's past bills, and confirm the current cap before you quote. This is the main West Bengal-specific rule to plan around.
West Bengal: the application process
The WBSEDCL net metering process runs from registration to commissioning, and the DISCOM owns the meter. CESC follows the same shape on its own portal.
Register on the DISCOM portal
The EPC or consumer registers on the WBSEDCL or CESC rooftop solar portal and enters the consumer number, sanctioned load and proposed system size.
Upload documents & pay the fee
Attach the bill, ID, system design and single-line diagram, and pay the application or processing fee set by the DISCOM.
Technical feasibility check
The DISCOM checks the DT loading, the network and the 90% injection limit, then confirms feasibility under the WBERC regulation.
Sign the agreement
After feasibility, the consumer signs the net-metering agreement with the DISCOM using the WBERC-approved format.
Meter install, inspection & commissioning
The EPC completes the install. The DISCOM supplies, tests and seals the bidirectional meter, inspects the system, and commissions the connection.
Keep the document checklist handy so nothing is missing at upload, and check the customer's consumption history early to size within the injection cap.
West Bengal: fees and timeline
West Bengal charges a net-metering application or processing fee plus the bidirectional meter cost, both set by the DISCOM under WBERC rules. The amounts are an estimate — verify the current charges with WBSEDCL or CESC, because they change by circular. The meter is supplied, tested and sealed by the DISCOM and recovered from the consumer.
On timeline, plan for a few weeks from a complete application to commissioning. West Bengal does not publish the same tight per-day target as some states, so the real time depends on the DISCOM and meter stock — confirm with the DISCOM and compare in the timeline by state guide.
Bihar, Jharkhand and Odisha at a glance
The eastern states neighbouring West Bengal each run their own net-metering regime. Here is the quick map so a multi-state EPC knows where to apply; each has a dedicated guide for detail.
For the full process in each, see the Bihar net metering, Jharkhand net metering and Odisha net metering guides. Each state sets its own caps, fees and timelines, so verify with the relevant SERC and DISCOM.
The metering model in the region
West Bengal and its eastern neighbours apply net metering to rooftop systems within their caps, where exports net against imports in units. Larger systems may sit under net billing. The 90% injection cap in West Bengal makes net metering most valuable for self-consumption, so a customer who uses most of their generation on site gets the strongest payback.
Why the model matters
Under net metering the customer saves close to the retail tariff on each netted unit. Under net billing exports earn a separate, lower rate. Confirm the model during feasibility for the system size and category, and verify the export and settlement rates in the current SERC order. See net vs gross vs net billing.
Feasibility and DT loading
Feasibility in the region turns on the local distribution transformer (DT). The DISCOM checks how much solar is already on your DT and whether it can take more export. A commonly cited figure caps solar at around 30% of DT capacity, but this loading limit varies by state and amendment, so do not treat 30% as a fixed national rule. See the DT loading rule for detail.
Systems up to about 10 kW have deemed feasibility under the national Rights of Consumers Rules, so a basic small connection cannot be refused on feasibility grounds. The deemed-feasibility limit is debated and amended, so verify the current threshold. If a DT is full, see feasibility rejection fixes.
When a file stalls — escalation
When an eastern-region net-metering file stalls, escalate in order. Start with the DISCOM nodal officer, then the divisional engineer, then a written complaint, and finally the SERC grievance route — WBERC, BERC, JSERC or OERC — if the DISCOM does not act.
- Log every date — application, fee, feasibility, agreement, meter request.
- Watch the injection cap — in West Bengal, a sizing mismatch can stall feasibility, so fix it before you escalate.
- Escalate in writing — emails and stamped letters move faster than calls.
- Cite the rules — point to the DISCOM target and the Rights of Consumers Rules.
The full playbook is in the delay and escalation guide.
How SuryaHub helps eastern-region EPCs
The east means several DISCOMs, several regulators, and a West Bengal injection cap that changes how you size. SuryaHub keeps every job in one place and runs it from project tracking through the DISCOM and net-metering steps — feasibility, the injection cap check, fees, agreement, meter sealing and commissioning — with documents and deadlines kept apart per DISCOM and state. SuryaHub is pre-revenue; the real pilots are Suryantra Energy and RGESPL, and the figures here are scheme facts, not guarantees.
Run WBSEDCL and every eastern DISCOM in one place
See how SuryaHub tracks each state's net-metering steps and deadlines.
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Which DISCOM handles net metering in West Bengal?+
Net metering in West Bengal is handled by WBSEDCL for most of the state and by CESC for the Kolkata licence area. You apply to the DISCOM that serves the consumer connection, and the WBERC regulation binds both. The bill shows which DISCOM serves the site.
What is the 90% injection cap in West Bengal?+
West Bengal caps the energy a net-metering consumer can inject to the grid at around 90% of their own annual consumption, so the system is sized to self-use, not pure export. This cap is an estimate set by WBERC and changes with orders, so verify the current injection limit with WBERC and your DISCOM.
Which DISCOMs handle net metering in the eastern states?+
In the eastern states, net metering is handled by NBPDCL and SBPDCL in Bihar, JBVNL in Jharkhand, and TPCODL and the other Tata Power DISCOMs in Odisha. Each runs its own portal under its own state regulator, so apply to the DISCOM that serves the connection.
What is the capacity cap for net metering in West Bengal?+
Net metering in West Bengal applies up to a state-set capacity cap tied to the sanctioned load, with the 90% injection limit on top, and systems up to about 10 kW have deemed feasibility under national rules. The exact caps are set by WBERC and change with amendments, so verify the current limits.
Who supplies the net meter in West Bengal?+
The DISCOM supplies, tests and seals the bidirectional meter in West Bengal — the EPC does not buy or fit it. The meter records both import and export, and its cost is recovered from the consumer. Verify the current meter charge with WBSEDCL or CESC before you bill.
How does SuryaHub help eastern-region net-metering jobs?+
SuryaHub tracks every West Bengal and eastern-state net-metering job in one place — feasibility, the injection cap, fees, agreement, meter sealing and commissioning — with documents and deadlines kept apart per DISCOM and state. SuryaHub is pre-revenue; the real pilots are Suryantra Energy and RGESPL.
Sources & references
West Bengal and eastern-state net-metering rules, caps, fees and timelines come from the WBERC regulation, the DISCOM portals and the national rules. Treat every state figure as an estimate and confirm the current order with the SERC and your DISCOM before you apply.
- West Bengal Electricity Regulatory Commission (WBERC) ↗
The net-metering regulation and tariff orders — the binding source.
- West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company (WBSEDCL) ↗
Application portal and process for most of the state.
- Ministry of Power — Rights of Consumers Rules ↗
National deemed-feasibility and bidirectional-meter rules.
Written by the SuryaHub team · reviewed against WBERC, WBSEDCL & Ministry of Power sources · updated 19 June 2026.
Method: Process steps and rules are taken from the WBERC regulation, the DISCOM portals and the national Rights of Consumers Rules, and re-checked every 30 days. All caps, fees and timelines are estimates — verify the current SERC order and DISCOM circular. SuryaHub is pre-revenue; only Suryantra Energy and RGESPL are real pilots.
Change log: 19 Jun 2026 — first published.