UGVCL Net Metering: Application Steps & Documents

To apply for UGVCL net metering in North Gujarat, a residential customer files on the SURYA Gujarat portal, and ugvcl.com is the place for UGVCL's own customer care and consumer services. The time limits come from GERC's net metering regulations, as amended in September 2024. GERC's Grid Interactive Distributed Renewable Energy Sources Regulations, 2026 are listed on GERC's site as notified on 30 October 2026 and repeal them, so read the new text before you rely on the day counts below. This guide turns them into a checklist for Mehsana, Gandhinagar, Patan and Banaskantha EPCs: portals, documents, status chasing, tariff and the surplus export rate.

Updated 31 Oct 2026. GERC's 2026 regulations were checked on 31 Oct 2026; the other GERC and SURYA Gujarat documents were last verified on 14 Oct 2026.

Looking for your UGVCL bill, payment or consumer number? Those services sit on UGVCL's own site, linked above, and not on this page. The rest of this guide is for installers handling the application. A quick note on numbers: helplines are printed as the DISCOM publishes them, so confirm against the bill or the official site before you hand one to a customer.

What UGVCL covers and who qualifies

UGVCL (Uttar Gujarat Vij Company Limited) supplies North Gujarat from its corporate office in Mehsana: Mehsana, Patan, Banaskantha, Sabarkantha and Aravalli, plus Gandhinagar and parts of Ahmedabad district. Urban Ahmedabad and parts of Gandhinagar are served by a different licensee (Torrent Power), so the bill header decides which application you file.

If the bill header says UGVCL, this guide applies. Otherwise pick the right one: PGVCL guide, DGVCL guide, MGVCL guide. Background on how the billing works is in what net metering is and net metering vs gross metering. If you need a refresher on what a DISCOM is, the glossary covers it in plain terms.

Eligibility under the GERC Net Metering Rooftop Solar PV Grid Interactive Systems Regulations, 2016 (Fourth Amendment, 2024):

• Capacity: The regulation, as amended in 2024, sets a minimum of 1 kW for a rooftop system under net metering. For applications up to 10 kW, it says any increase in sanctioned load that the system needs is carried out by the DISCOM. For larger systems, check the capacity ceiling on the form you are filing.
• Grid-interactive systems only: Off-grid systems without a grid-tie inverter are outside net metering.
• Installer: The regulation expects drawings approved by the Chief Electrical Inspector and a GEDA registration certificate for the project. Ask your DISCOM or the SURYA Gujarat portal what it wants to see for the installer.
• 2026 regulations: GERC's Distributed Renewable Energy Sources Regulations, 2026 (listed as notified 30 October 2026, no longer a draft) repeal the 2016 net metering regulations. Net metering runs from 1 kW to 1,000 kW (AC), group net metering from 6 kW to 1,000 kW and virtual net metering from 10 kW to 4,000 kW (AC). See the regulatory watch box below.

UGVCL net metering in numbers

Which portal: UGVCL, SURYA Gujarat or PM Surya Ghar

Three sites matter, and they do different jobs. Confusing them is the fastest way to file the same job twice.

The UGVCL 5-Step Approval Ladder

The UGVCL 5-Step Approval Ladder is how we group the stages in GERC's Regulation 7 into five rungs: Register and apply, Feasibility, Consent and agreement, Install, Meter and commission. Every rung has an owner, an output and a time limit set by the regulation. The same regulation governs all four Gujarat state DISCOMs, so the limits below are the same for UGVCL. Move to the next rung only when you hold the output of the current one.

1. 1

   Register and apply

   Get the GEDA registration certificate (the regulation gives GEDA 5 days from a complete application) and the Chief Electrical Inspector's approval of the single line, earthing and wiring diagrams (10 days). File the application with the DISCOM in the prescribed format, on the SURYA Gujarat portal for residential customers. Save the application number: it is your reference for every follow-up.

2. 2

   Feasibility

   UGVCL's head office writes to the concerned circle or division for the technical feasibility report (TFR) within 3 days of a complete application, and the field report is due 10 days after that letter. The TFR records the transformer capacity, rooftop capacity already connected on it and any system strengthening needed. For complete applications up to 10 kW, the regulation says the application is deemed accepted without a feasibility study.

3. 3

   Consent and agreement

   Within 2 days of the TFR, the head office issues either an in-principle consent, or an estimate if system strengthening is needed. The applicant pays connectivity charges and signs the connectivity agreement within 15 days of consent (30 days where an estimate must also be paid). The DISCOM then issues a letter to complete the project within 5 days, and the applicant has 6 months to finish.

4. 4

   Install

   Build the system to the approved drawings. When complete, UGVCL asks for documents within 3 days of the completion letter: ownership of the PV system, the Chief Electrical Inspector's installation charging approval, meter and CTPT test certificates, IEC certificates or test reports for the equipment, and protection details (anti-islanding on the inverter, plus a no-volt relay above 10 kW). Missing documents within the 3 days can lead to cancellation with charges forfeited, so collect them before you send the completion letter.

5. 5

   Meter and commission

   The head office instructs the field office within 2 days of receiving the documents. The solar meter and the bidirectional (ABT) net meter are installed within 5 days of that letter. GEDA, or the agency the state designates, then visits and issues the commissioning certificate within 3 days of the intimation. The customer's first net metering bill shows import and export units separately; the explainer on how a bidirectional meter works helps you walk the customer through it.

Source: GERC Net Metering (Fourth Amendment) Regulations, 2024, Regulation 7 as substituted. The regulation gives the limits in days, not working days.

Documents required for UGVCL net metering

The exact list comes from the UGVCL checklist or the SURYA Gujarat form, so treat the list below as the usual set and check it against the form you are filling. Collect everything at the site survey, not after the sale. A short site survey checklist saves a second visit.

Consumer and property documents:

• Latest UGVCL electricity bill showing the consumer number, name and sanctioned load
• Proof of ownership of the premises (sale deed, property tax receipt, or a registered lease for a non-owner)
• Identity proof of the consumer, and a recent photograph if the form asks
• Authorisation letter from the consumer if the EPC files on the consumer's behalf

Technical documents (application stage):

• Single line diagram (SLD), earthing diagram and wiring diagram for approval by the Chief Electrical Inspector, as Regulation 7 requires
• Roof plan or site layout showing panel placement
• Module and inverter datasheets, with IEC certificates or test reports for the equipment (the regulation asks for these at commissioning, so keep them ready)
• GEDA registration certificate for the project and the installer's details as the form asks

Post-installation documents (commissioning stage, per Regulation 7):

• Ownership of the solar PV system
• Chief Electrical Inspector's installation charging approval (see the CEI glossary entry)
• Meter and CTPT testing certificates from the labs named in the regulation
• Protection details: an inverter with an anti-islanding feature, plus a no-volt relay above 10 kW
• Completion photographs, as the DISCOM or the portal asks

How to check UGVCL net metering application status

For a residential application, open SURYA Gujarat Track Application and enter the details the page asks for. UGVCL itself is not the place to look first for these files. For anything filed outside the portal, ask the sub-division office named in the acknowledgement, and use the numbers in the links box at the top of this page.

The portal's own wording for each status can change, so we do not reproduce it. The table below is keyed to the stages in Regulation 7 instead, which is what the DISCOM works to. It also answers the common question about an "estimate" status: Regulation 7 uses an estimate for system strengthening, issued after the feasibility report, and it has its own payment deadline.

Escalation path for a stuck file:

1. The sub-division office on the acknowledgement, with the application number and the Regulation 7 limit you are citing.
2. The circle or division office. UGVCL lists its offices and numbers on its contact page, linked at the top.
3. For billing disputes about energy injection, the SURYA Gujarat interconnection agreement points to the Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum and the Electricity Ombudsman. Other questions on how the regulations apply go to GERC.

Common UGVCL rejection reasons, and how to avoid them

The full list of causes is in the net metering rejection reasons guide. These are the ones worth checking on every UGVCL file:

For PM Surya Ghar files, the installer must also be registered on the national portal. The PM Surya Ghar rejection reasons guide covers the subsidy side.

UGVCL fees, tariff and surplus export rate

Fees and charges. The regulation does not state a fixed net metering application fee. It sets out connectivity charges and system strengthening. Strengthening for systems up to 6 kW (including later additions up to 6 kW in total) goes into the DISCOM's annual revenue requirement, so it is not billed to the applicant. Above 6 kW, an LT applicant installing up to 100 kW in aggregate pays strengthening charges at the per kW rate the DISCOM charges for new or additional LT load, as approved by GERC. Ask UGVCL for the current rate card before you quote a customer above 6 kW. The net metering charges by state post compares states.

What the customer pays for grid power. GERC's tariff schedule, effective 1 April 2026 for the four state DISCOMs, sets these energy charges for Rate RGP (residential):

Fixed charges per month for RGP are ₹15 up to 2 kW, ₹25 above 2 to 4 kW, ₹45 above 4 to 6 kW and ₹70 above 6 kW. The schedule is exclusive of electricity duty, taxes and the fuel and power purchase adjustment surcharge (FPPAS). Consumers with a smart meter also get a 60 paise per unit concession on energy used between 11:00 and 17:00 under the schedule. Source: GERC tariff schedule effective 1 April 2026.

What the customer earns for surplus units. The SURYA Gujarat net metering interconnection agreement for residential consumers (effective 1 January 2021) says: energy generated is set off against units consumed in the billing cycle, and any net export is bought by the DISCOM at ₹2.25 per unit for the first 5 years from commissioning, then for the rest of the project term at 75% of the simple average of tariffs discovered in GUVNL's competitive bids for non-park solar in the preceding six months. Net amounts receivable are carried to later bills, and at year end, if the net amount receivable is more than ₹100 and the consumer asks, it can be paid out, once a year. Source: SURYA Gujarat interconnection agreement.

For how banking and set-off work across states, see net metering export and import banking.

PM Surya Ghar and UGVCL

The central subsidy for a home system is ₹30,000 per kW up to 2 kW plus ₹18,000 for the third kW, a maximum of ₹78,000 (pmsuryaghar.gov.in). The consumer registers on the national portal, the DISCOM approves feasibility, an empanelled vendor installs, the DISCOM inspects and commissions, and the subsidy is paid by direct transfer to the bank account the consumer enters on the portal. UGVCL handles the technical and metering steps; the subsidy itself comes through the national portal and not through UGVCL.

For EPCs, two practical points. First, vendor registration on the national portal is a precondition for the subsidy file, so check it before you quote. Second, keep the commissioning certificate and the inspection documents safe, because the portal asks for them. The subsidy calculation guide, the disbursement timeline and state top-up subsidies cover the money side.

Other Gujarat DISCOMs

The four state DISCOMs follow the same GERC regulations and the same SURYA Gujarat portal, but each has its own website, contacts, circles and offices. Pick the guide that matches the bill header:

• PGVCL net metering guide: Saurashtra and Kachchh
• DGVCL net metering guide: South Gujarat
• MGVCL net metering guide: Central Gujarat

The side-by-side comparison of all four lives on one page, the Gujarat solar installer business guide. For the national picture, see the DISCOM approval process and how to apply for net metering in India.

What is changing: GERC's 2026 regulations

How Quickest Solar CRM helps UGVCL EPCs

Running files across Mehsana, Gandhinagar and Banaskantha with a sales team in the field is where follow-ups slip. Nobody remembers which file is at which rung. Treat the five rungs of the ladder as lead stages and note the deadline from the regulation on each one.

• Proposal Generator, send a proposal PDF with your logo, items and terms and the PM Surya Ghar subsidy applied in the proposal, so the customer decides before the approval clock starts.
• Lead Management, create a customisable lead stage for each rung (Register and apply, Feasibility, Consent and agreement, Install, Meter and commission), add labels, and set follow-up reminders for the agreement and build deadlines.
• WhatsApp sharing, share the proposal PDF on WhatsApp and keep saved message templates for consent, estimate and commissioning updates, which you send yourself.

The solar sales funnel guide and solar sales follow-up rules show how to keep a customer warm while the approval runs. If you also need to quote, see how to write a solar proposal.

What to do this week

1. Audit active UGVCL files by rung. Pull every active UGVCL file and mark its rung. Any file past a Regulation 7 limit gets a call to the sub-division office today, with the application number and the clause.

2. Build a one-page document checklist for your survey team. Name as on the bill, latest bill, ownership proof, identity proof, SLD and earthing drawings, IEC certificates, and the post-installation set. Collect them at the survey, not at the application.

3. Put the agreement window in your CRM. The 15 day consent window and the 6 month build window are the two deadlines that can cancel a file. Set follow-up reminders when each starts. Try Quickest Solar CRM free (1 user, 10 proposals a month, no card) to track them next to every lead.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check my UGVCL solar net metering application status?

For a residential application, use Track Application on the SURYA Gujarat portal with the details the page asks for. For an application filed outside the portal, ask the sub-division office named on the acknowledgement. Quote the application number and the Regulation 7 stage you are waiting on.

What is the official website for UGVCL solar rooftop applications?

The UGVCL website is ugvcl.com, and residential rooftop applications run on the SURYA Gujarat portal.

What does "estimate approval" mean in a UGVCL application?

The portal wording can change, so confirm it with the sub-division office. In GERC Regulation 7, the DISCOM issues an estimate when system strengthening is needed, after the technical feasibility report, and the applicant must pay it within 30 days. If your status mentions an estimate, check whether a payment is due.

How long does UGVCL net metering approval take?

No single number is guaranteed. GERC Regulation 7 sets a limit for each activity: for example 10 days for the field feasibility report, 2 days for the consent or estimate, 5 days for the meters and 3 days for the commissioning certificate. Complete applications up to 10 kW are deemed accepted without a feasibility study, and a DISCOM that delays without a just cause owes at least ₹500 per day. These are the 2024 limits; GERC's 2026 regulations, listed as notified on 30 October 2026, repeal that text, so check the new limits.

What documents are needed for UGVCL net metering?

The usual set is the latest bill, ownership proof, identity proof, SLD, earthing and wiring drawings, roof layout and equipment datasheets. At commissioning the regulation adds PV ownership, the Chief Electrical Inspector's approval, meter test certificates, IEC reports and protection details. Check the exact list against the form you file.

How much does UGVCL pay for surplus solar units?

The SURYA Gujarat residential interconnection agreement (effective 1 January 2021) provides ₹2.25 per unit for the first 5 years, then 75% of the simple average of recent GUVNL solar bid tariffs. The policy behind it was superseded in 2023, so read the rate clause in your customer's own agreement before quoting.

What is the UGVCL residential electricity tariff?

GERC's Rate RGP energy charge, effective 1 April 2026, is ₹3.05, ₹3.50, ₹4.15 and ₹5.20 per unit for the first 50, next 50, next 150 and above 250 units, plus fixed charges of ₹15 to ₹70 per month by load. Rural Gram Panchayat consumers pay ₹2.65, ₹3.10, ₹3.75 and ₹4.90. Duty, taxes and FPPAS are extra.

Which districts does UGVCL serve?

UGVCL serves North Gujarat: Mehsana, Patan, Banaskantha, Sabarkantha and Aravalli, plus Gandhinagar and parts of Ahmedabad district. Urban Ahmedabad and parts of Gandhinagar are served by Torrent Power. Confirm with the bill header before you file.