Legally Stop Your Electricity Meter
How Net-Metering works and where it still applies.
Net-Billing in Georgia: Why On-Grid Without Batteries Costs Business 1,450 GEL/Month
The Net-Billing tariff spread: wholesale export price vs full commercial import — and what Georgian businesses should do about it.
For Georgia's commercial sector, electricity is a major OPEX line. Microgeneration (up to 500 kW) promised lower bills — but rules changed. Net-Billing replaced the old Net-Metering model for many new connections. Businesses that install plain on-grid systems without batteries risk surprise bills from Energo-Pro or Telasi.
Important: in Tbilisi (Telasi network), some sites can still apply for Net-Metering while quotas last. In regional Energo-Pro areas — including Kakheti — net-metering quotas are exhausted; new systems run on Net-Billing. See Legally Stop Your Electricity Meter for the legacy scheme.
Case study: cold-storage terminal in Kakheti and a 1,450 GEL bill
Giorgi runs a cold-storage terminal in Kakheti on the Energo-Pro network. He expected net-metering like Tbilisi businesses, but the region is on Net-Billing only. His 100 kW array peaks at lunch when forklifts are idle — surplus flows to the grid at wholesale price.
"I'll export 5,000 kWh at lunch and pull the same 5,000 kWh back at night when compressors run. Net zero."
End of month: energy balance is zero — but amount due: 1,450 GEL. Net-Billing tariff scissors: the grid is no longer a free virtual battery.
GNERC tariff anatomy
Under Net-Billing, settlement is in GEL and tetri, not physical kWh. The gap between export credit and import cost is large.
| Component | Export (Net-Billing) | Import from grid (B2B) |
|---|---|---|
| Base energy cost | ~6–10 tetri | ~6–10 tetri |
| Transmission (GSE) | — | included |
| Distribution (Telasi / Energo-Pro) | — | included |
| ESCO, dispatch, taxes | — | included |
| Total | ~6–10 tetri/kWh | ~35 tetri/kWh |
1. Export buy-back price (6–10 tetri)
Utilities credit the average weighted price of purchased electricity — wholesale cost from generation (Inguri HPP, thermal plants, etc.). Historically 6–10 tetri/kWh by season. Below we use 6 tetri as a conservative worst-case for the owner.
2. Commercial consumption (~35 tetri)
After sunset you buy at the full B2B tariff (380–220 V) — about 35 tetri/kWh (see GNERC 2026 tariff analysis and our system constructor at 0.35 GEL/kWh B2B).
- Base energy (wholesale 6–10 tetri)
- Transmission (GSE backbone)
- Distribution (Telasi / Energo-Pro local network)
- ESCO and system operator services
- VAT, taxes and supplier margin
Net-Metering vs Net-Billing
Net-Metering offset kWh in kind — the grid as free storage. Net-Billing pays export at wholesale energy only and charges import at full delivered tariff. ROI shifts: on-grid without storage slows; hybrid + LiFePO4 improves payback.
Giorgi's math (example)
- Exported: 5,000 kWh × 0.06 GEL = +300 GEL
- Imported: 5,000 kWh × 0.35 GEL = −1,750 GEL
- Net: −1,450 GEL due
Solution: hybrid + LiFePO4 from Inversol
Don't sell midday kWh cheap and buy them back expensive — store surplus in LiFePO4 and use it when the tariff is highest.
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Daytime self-consumption
Solar feeds loads directly — no 35-tetri grid purchases at peak.
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Charge batteries, not the grid
Surplus charges LiFePO4 instead of exporting at wholesale.
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Evening discharge
Use stored solar instead of grid at 35 tetri.
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Blackout backup
On-grid shuts down in outages. Inversol hybrid switches to battery in under 10 ms.
Model payback in the Inversol system constructor or request a load audit via contact.
Disclaimer: GNERC tariffs and methodology change. Figures are indicative for July 2026. Confirm current resolutions and your distributor's terms (Telasi, Energo-Pro).
Net-Billing FAQ
How is Net-Billing different from Net-Metering?
Net-Metering offsets kWh in kind. Net-Billing settles in money: export at ~6–10 tetri wholesale, import at ~35 tetri full B2B tariff.
What price does Telasi pay for solar export?
The average weighted wholesale purchase price — historically 6–10 tetri/kWh depending on season.
Is on-grid without batteries viable in 2026?
Weak under Net-Billing when daytime export is high and night load is heavy. Best when most solar is consumed on-site with minimal export.
Do I need a hybrid inverter?
For maximum savings under Net-Billing — yes. Hybrid + LiFePO4 avoids the tariff spread and adds backup power.
Is Net-Metering still available in Georgia?
In Tbilisi (Telasi), net-metering is still available for some sites while quotas remain. In Energo-Pro regions — Kakheti, Imereti, etc. — quotas are exhausted; new connections use Net-Billing.
Which batteries for commercial hybrid?
Industrial LiFePO4 at 51.2 V, 6000+ cycles. See our battery catalog.
Recalculate your economics for Net-Billing
Inversol engineers will audit hourly load, size hybrid + LiFePO4, and model payback.
Related articles
Tariff Explosion 2026
Why solar ROI dropped to 3 years.
LiFePO4 guide
Why LiFePO4 is the commercial storage standard.