A solar home’s meter can show several numbers as its screen cycles. The inverter app shows another number, and the electricity bill may show import, export, adjustment and billed units. Those figures answer different questions. Once you identify the meter’s cumulative import and export registers and match their dates to the bill, you can check the arithmetic without opening the sealed meter or guessing from the app.
Direct answer. Find the meter make and model, then use its display legend to identify cumulative grid import and export in kWh. On some meters,
1.8.0shows cumulative import and2.8.0shows cumulative export. Confirm both codes in the manual for your meter and its programmed display. Subtract each register’s previous reading from its current reading for the bill period. Then compare the utility’s set-off and billed units with its published rule. Inverter generation is a separate quantity.
What do import, export and generation each measure?
Grid import is electricity drawn from the DISCOM when household demand exceeds solar output or when panels are not generating. Grid export is solar electricity that leaves the premises when generation exceeds the home’s instantaneous use. Generation is all electricity produced by the solar system, whether used immediately or exported. The bidirectional utility meter records import and export at the connection boundary; the inverter or a separate generation meter reports solar production. These values should not be expected to match.
Here is a hypothetical two-hour example. Each unit means one kWh. In the sunny hour, solar makes 4 units. The home uses 3 of them and exports 1. After sunset, the home imports another 2 units. Home use totals 5 units. The inverter shows 4 units of generation. The meter shows 1 unit of export and 2 units of import. This example leaves out small timing and electrical differences. Generation and export are different readings.
The Schneider Electric explanation updated 22 April 2026 confirms that “import” and “export” can be described from the supplier’s or consumer’s viewpoint. This guide uses the consumer’s viewpoint: import enters the home; export leaves it. Check the utility bill’s own labels before comparing, because a supplier-facing data system may use “delivered” and “received” in the opposite verbal direction.
The GERC rooftop net-metering regulations define a bidirectional meter or two meters for import and export. The 2022 GERC amendment requires separate bill entries for injected energy, grid supply, net billed units and net export after adjustment. This applies under the relevant route. Other states have their own billing rules. Reading a register and working out its bill value are separate tasks.
Use a Four-Number Check: solar generation, grid import, grid export and billed or credited units. Every number has a source and period. The net-metering glossary explains the settlement concept, and the solar bill still high guide helps when the bill total remains surprising.
| Quantity | Usually read from | What it does not mean |
|---|---|---|
| Generation | Inverter or generation meter | All units sold to grid |
| Import | Utility net meter | Total household consumption |
| Export | Utility net meter | All units generated |
| Billed units | Utility bill calculation | Raw meter register |
The table is a vocabulary aid. A meter model can use different screen labels, so verify the actual display before writing down a number.
Which display codes usually show import and export?
Many modern meters use OBIS codes. A Siemens 7KT16 meter manual lists 1.8.0 as total imported active energy and 2.8.0 as total exported active energy. The manual also distinguishes its total and tariff-period readings. This is evidence for that meter family and the code convention, not proof that every DISCOM meter cycles through those exact screens. A different make may display IMP, EXP, A+, A- or a programmed sequence.
Look for the meter’s front label and model number before using a code chart. Photograph the display as it cycles, including the code and its value in the same frame. If the meter has a safe display button, the manufacturer manual may explain how to scroll. Do not remove the cover, break a utility seal or touch wiring. The Genus Sugam single-phase net-meter product page confirms that an Indian domestic net meter measures import and export bidirectionally, but it does not mean its screen order matches a Landis+Gyr model.
The Landis+Gyr manual also shows 1.8.1 and 1.8.2 for different import tariff registers, and corresponding 2.8.1 and 2.8.2 for export. If you see these, do not add them to a total 1.8.0 reading and double count. They may be components of the total. A time-of-day consumer can have additional registers and a bill that uses each window differently. The total register is useful for a broad cross-check; tariff-specific billing must be compared with the utility’s exact bill layout.
Some meters display kVAh, reactive energy, demand, voltage or current as well as kWh. A screen with a familiar looking large number may be the wrong unit. Read the unit icon and code together. For a home net-metering check, start with cumulative active-energy import and export in kWh. The kVAh glossary explains why apparent-energy billing is a different topic, particularly for business connections.
| Common code on compatible IEC/DLMS meters | Typical meaning | Check before use |
|---|---|---|
1.8.0 | Total active-energy import, kWh | Model display map and unit |
2.8.0 | Total active-energy export, kWh | Model display map and unit |
1.8.1, 1.8.2 | Import by tariff register | Do not add again to total |
2.8.1, 2.8.2 | Export by tariff register | Check time-of-day bill treatment |
The table reflects the cited manufacturer manual. It is not a substitute for the actual meter’s manual or the DISCOM’s programmed display legend.
How do you calculate monthly import and export from the meter?
Meters normally show cumulative readings. A current display number is therefore the total since the meter began counting, not this month’s use. Subtract the previous bill’s reading from the current bill’s reading for each register. If import was 8,200 kWh on the previous reading date and 8,510 kWh on the current date, the period’s grid import is 310 kWh. If export rose from 2,400 to 2,590 kWh, the period’s export is 190 kWh. Those values are hypothetical and assume the same meter and multiplier throughout.
The next step depends on the approved settlement rule. In a simple illustrative net-metering case, 310 import units and 190 export units leave 120 net imported energy units for the period. That arithmetic does not remove fixed charges, duties or other bill items. Some tariffs use time-of-day registers, adjustment rules or carried balances, so the printed billed-units line may not equal one subtraction. The MSEDCL sample solar bill published June 2026 shows separate current and previous import and export readings, adjustments and billed units. It is an official Maharashtra example of the bill fields, not a template for every Gujarat licensee.
If the bill shows a multiplication factor, or MF, use that factor. Do not assume it is one. A direct-connected home meter can differ from a CT-operated commercial meter. A meter change can also reset the readings. Get the old meter’s closing reading and the new meter’s opening reading from the exchange record. You cannot subtract readings from two different serial numbers as if they were one meter.
Match dates exactly. A monthly inverter report may cover 1 to 31 July while the electricity bill covers 12 July to 11 August. Comparing them without adjusting the period can make normal data look wrong. Photograph the meter on the bill’s scheduled reading date if practical, and record the date and time with the image. The solar generation-report guide explains the inverter side of the comparison.
The meter’s decimal places also matter. A display of 08200.4 and a printed bill rounded to whole units can differ by a small amount. Do not treat a rounding difference as fraud. Look for material mismatches: wrong serial number, impossible reading, import and export swapped, an omitted register or a bill that ignores the commissioned solar connection.
Reading arithmetic
Current cumulative import minus previous import gives period import. Do the same for export. Match meter serial, dates, units and any bill multiplier before comparing with billed units.
Keep the original photos and bill PDF when raising a query. A cropped number without its code and date is hard to interpret.
How do you match meter readings to a solar bill?
Find the bill period, meter number, current and previous readings, and separate import and export lines. Check that the meter serial number on the bill matches the device photographed at the home. Calculate period units from the readings and compare them with any printed adjustments. Then locate net billed units, surplus purchase or credit, fixed charges and the final payable amount. The MSEDCL sample net-metered bill dated June 2026 provides an official example with import, export, generation and adjustment fields.
Gujarat’s GERC Third Amendment, Notification 02 of 2022 describes billing-cycle residential energy accounting and asks the licensee to show key quantities separately. The Gujarat export-rate guide explains the purchased-surplus rule. Maharashtra and MP use their own regulator and DISCOM bills. A reader should apply the calculation framework, then use the actual state and connection rule for the credit line.
Illustrative bill reconciliation: assume generation is 430 units, grid import is 260, grid export is 150, and the utility’s applicable simple set-off leaves 110 billed energy units. The home may have used about 280 solar units directly if generation and export cover the same dates: 430 minus 150. Its total use would then be about 540 units: direct solar 280 plus grid import 260. This is a hypothetical energy-flow example, not a real bill and not proof of a particular settlement clause. Fixed charges and taxes still need separate lines.
Do not assume “net” on the meter screen means the same thing as the bill’s net energy. A meter can show instantaneous net power, cumulative import, cumulative export and even a diagnostic register. The bill calculates a period under a regulation. The homeowner’s task is to verify the raw quantities and ask the utility how it applied them, not to reverse engineer the tariff from one display page.
If the inverter app reports 430 units but export is only 150, that can be normal because 280 units were used inside the home in the example. If generation is far below the proposal, diagnose the PV system separately. The monitoring guide and low-generation guide cover that question. A normal inverter with a wrong bill points to a metering or settlement check instead.
The most useful record is a small monthly table with bill period, inverter generation, meter import, meter export, billed units and final charges. It reveals trends without mixing the quantities.
What can make a correct reading look wrong?
The most common cause is a period mismatch. Inverter apps often use calendar months; utility bills use reading dates. Another is confusing a cumulative register with period units. A third is reading the wrong OBIS code or an instantaneous kW screen instead of cumulative kWh. These errors can create differences far larger than any real meter issue. Verify model, code, unit and dates before challenging the bill.
Time-of-day meters can display several tariff registers. The total import may equal the sum of tariff periods, but not every bill presents or prices them in the same way. An owner who adds each tariff register to the total can double count. A Siemens 7KT16 meter manual distinguishes total and tariff-specific codes. The home’s actual meter map should be requested from the DISCOM if the screen is unclear.
Meter replacement is another source. The old meter may have a closing read and the new meter a starting read. A bill can include both portions in one period. The homeowner should keep the meter-change report, serial numbers and seal details. If the first solar bill includes days before commissioning, not all energy in that bill is subject to the solar arrangement. The solar commissioning guide explains why the official start date matters.
A lost app connection can leave gaps even while the inverter keeps producing. Some app screens show DC energy or an estimate rather than AC output. Check the screen’s definition. For a utility-meter issue, use register photos and the bill. For a monitoring issue, compare the app with the inverter’s local record or generation meter.
The household can also change consumption. A new air conditioner or longer occupancy hours can raise imported units or reduce exports even when solar generation is normal. A cloudy month can lower generation. The correct diagnosis compares like periods and notes weather, equipment alarms and new loads. The solar bill still high guide has a broader troubleshooting sequence.
Before reporting an error
Confirm the meter serial, OBIS or display label, kWh unit, reading dates and multiplier. Compare the same period on the inverter and bill.
A verified mismatch is easier to fix than a general claim that the bill “looks too high.”
When should you ask the DISCOM to investigate?
Ask for a check if the bill has the wrong meter serial or a reading that differs from the device. Also query missing import or export after commissioning, an unexplained multiplier, or an export rule that differs from the connection terms. Gather the bill, commissioning record and any meter-change report. Add photos that show each code and value. These give the utility a precise issue to test.
Write the calculation in plain terms: previous and current import, previous and current export, derived period units, the bill’s units, and the difference. Include the reading dates. If there is a time-of-day tariff, identify the specific register and slot. Ask the DISCOM for a corrected reading or written explanation of an adjustment. Avoid opening the meter or modifying wiring; it is utility equipment and sealed for a reason.
For a Gujarat account, the GERC consumer regulations index lists service and grievance instruments. For an MSEDCL account, the official sample solar bill shows the fields the consumer can reference. The current licensee’s complaint channel should be used first, with escalation under its regulator’s process if needed. Keep a ticket number and a copy of the reply.
If the issue is generation rather than billing, the DISCOM may not be the right first contact. Check inverter alarms, breaker status, monitoring and weather, then contact the installer or equipment service route. If import and export registers are correct but the family’s total bill has increased, a new load or tariff change may explain it. The high-bill diagnosis helps separate these cases.
For a recurring mismatch, record readings on several dates rather than relying on one photograph. A sudden reversal of import and export labels, or a stopped export register while the inverter reports generation and the home has low load, deserves utility review. The utility may need to test the meter or its configuration. Do not infer tampering or fault from one short observation without checking the load and weather at that moment.
The goal is a correct bill and a reliable operating record. A concise, evidence-backed query is more likely to identify the actual issue than a generic demand to reduce the payable amount.
Can you check a solar meter from a phone?
Some utilities offer meter and bill data in an app or portal. Inverter makers have separate generation apps. Check which data the phone shows. Uploads may be delayed, dates may differ, or the screen may show a simplified figure. “Solar units” alone does not tell you whether the value is generation, import or export.
If the utility app shows import and export, compare its meter serial and reading date with the physical meter and bill. A smart meter may transmit a reading after the display has advanced. Minor differences due to timing are expected. If the app has a “net” number, find its definition: it could be a signed interval value, a period balance or a billing calculation. The physical meter’s cumulative registers remain useful for a spot check.
The solar monitoring guide explains how an inverter app helps detect underproduction. It does not replace the utility bill. The net-metering glossary explains why utility import and export are settlement data. A homeowner can keep both app screenshots in a monthly folder if their date ranges are clear. Without matching dates, a phone screenshot can create confusion rather than resolve it.
Here is an illustrative phone check. The inverter app shows 15 kWh made today. The meter’s export register rises by 4 kWh. That can make sense if the home used roughly 11 kWh during solar hours. This ignores small timing and measurement differences. If export does not rise, the home may have used all the output. That alone does not prove a fault.
If the utility app is unavailable, photograph the meter safely from outside its sealed enclosure and use the bill PDF. The homeowner should not need a special device to verify cumulative readings. For complex time-of-day or CT-operated meters, request the DISCOM’s display map so the correct code is used. A phone is a recording tool; the meter model and approved bill rule still determine the interpretation.
This guide cannot give one universal mobile screen path because licensee apps and meter makes change. The reproducible method is to identify source, unit, period and serial number for every number you compare.
What if the export register hardly changes?
A low export reading is not necessarily a problem. If the home uses most solar electricity while it is being generated, little excess crosses the utility meter. A household with daytime air conditioning, pumps, cooking or work-from-home loads may have a high direct-use share. The inverter generation report and the bill’s import trend can help confirm that the panels are producing even when export is small.
Start with a safe observation during a clear period. Check that the inverter reports current AC output and that the utility meter’s import or export direction is plausible for the household load. Do not turn off safety equipment or open the meter to force an export test. If the home has a large load at that moment, the array may simply be serving it. Record the time, inverter output and meter screen, then compare with normal operating data across several days.
If output is high but the bill shows no export register after official commissioning, check the meter serial and settlement start date. A new meter may be fitted while billing still uses the old setup. Send the DISCOM a written query with meter photos and the commissioning record. Repeated grid-voltage trips or other inverter alarms are a separate issue. Ask the installer to check system availability before treating it as a billing fault.
Illustrative energy balance: assume a home produces 300 kWh in a billing period and exports only 20 kWh. It could have used about 280 kWh directly, if generation and export cover the same dates and losses are ignored. That is a possible explanation, not proof. The household’s load, meter data and inverter records should be checked before drawing a conclusion. A neighbour’s export total is not a valid comparison unless their system size and daytime usage are similar.
Check whether the approved design sets an export limit or inverter mode. A permitted, correctly installed zero-export system limits injection on purpose. Its approval and settings should say so. If you expected net metering but the installed setup differs, ask the installer and DISCOM to resolve the mismatch. Do that before changing settings.
Ask for a home bill review: Bring the latest bill, meter-code photos and inverter report to the residential solar enquiry. Ask which quantity differs before changing the solar system.
Read both registers
- Import shown on the meter
- Export shown separately
- Dates match the bill period
Do not confuse
- Inverter generation with export
- Cumulative reading with monthly units
- A model-specific display code with a universal code
How Heaven Green Energy helps frame a Meter Review
Bring the bill, consumer number and commissioning date. Add the meter make and serial, photos of import and export screens, and inverter output for the same dates. Heaven Green Energy files PM Surya Ghar and DISCOM paperwork for its customers. Keep the official meter and billing records. Use the DISCOM’s complaint channel to dispute a utility reading.
The relevant routes are:
- Residential solar for the primary home site-visit enquiry.
- Solar calculator for an initial capacity and consumption check.
- Solar monitoring guide for generation-side records.
The first review should decide whether the concern is a low generation number, a wrong meter quantity or a bill-settlement question. Compare matching dates and units. Use the actual meter manual if the screen codes differ from the common OBIS examples. A utility meter issue should be documented and sent to the licensee; an inverter issue should be diagnosed through the equipment and installer route.
Use this sequence:
- Identify the meter. Record make, model, serial and display map.
- Read import. Save code, kWh value, date and photo.
- Read export. Save the matching cumulative register.
- Subtract periods. Compare previous and current bill readings.
- Check settlement. Locate billed units and applicable credit.
- Route the issue. Send billing evidence to the DISCOM or generation evidence to the installer.
After a correction, keep both the original and revised bill. A monthly record makes future problems easier to identify. The residential solar route is the main enquiry for a site-specific explanation.
These codes are examples supported by the cited manufacturer manual. The specific utility-programmed display controls the reading for a real meter.
A useful handover photo shows the complete meter face, serial number, date and every register the DISCOM uses for billing. Keep the same view at the next reading. If a mobile app disagrees with the revenue meter, compare the dates and measurement points before claiming a fault, because an inverter app can report production that never passed through the export register.
Frequently asked questions
What does 1.8.0 mean on a solar net meter?
On compatible IEC/DLMS meters, including the cited Landis+Gyr manual, 1.8.0 is total active-energy import in kWh. Confirm the make, model, unit and programmed display before using it. The current value is cumulative, so subtract the previous reading to find period import.
What does 2.8.0 mean?
On the cited meter family, 2.8.0 is total active-energy export in kWh. It is not the inverter’s total generation. Some solar electricity is used directly in the home. Verify the specific meter manual and subtract the prior export reading for the billing period.
Why is inverter generation higher than meter export?
The inverter counts all electricity made by the solar plant. The utility meter counts only the excess that leaves the premises. A household using power while panels generate can consume many units directly, so export can be much smaller than generation without indicating a fault.
How do I calculate net units from my bill?
Subtract the old import reading from the new one. Do the same for export. Then apply the approved utility adjustment or settlement rule. Import minus export is only a simple example. ToD registers, multipliers and credits can change the units printed on the bill.
Can I see solar meter readings on my phone?
That depends on the DISCOM’s app or portal and meter setup. An inverter app often shows generation, not utility import or export. Check the data source, meter serial and date range before comparing a phone screen with a bill or physical display.
When should I complain to the DISCOM?
Raise a written query if the bill has the wrong serial, implausible reading, missing export, unexplained multiplier or settlement inconsistent with the approved connection. Include dated meter photos, bill, commissioning record and your calculation. Use the current licensee’s official complaint route.
The code examples are not a universal Indian meter manual. The installed device and utility bill define the exact registers for a given home.