Gross or net metering: which to choose in Mauritius in 2026?
It is THE choice to make when signing with the CEB. Behind the jargon hides one simple question: what should happen to the electricity your panels produce?
⚠️ You must choose: one OR the other
When signing with the CEB, you pick one single formula, not both. The choice is written into your contract and sets your earnings: it deserves 5 minutes of thought.
The tomato grower image 🍅
Imagine your panels are a vegetable garden producing tomatoes:
- Option 1gross metering = you sell your whole harvest at the market, and keep buying your tomatoes at the shop as before.
- Option 2net metering = you eat your own tomatoes first (those you no longer have to buy!), and only sell what is left.
Replace tomatoes with kWh and you have understood it all. The rest is just a matter of price.
Option 1gross metering: sell everything at Rs 4.83
With gross metering, 100% of your production goes to the grid and the CEB pays you Rs 4.83 for every kWh. Your electricity bill does not move by a single rupee: you keep paying your kWh at the normal tariff.
The maths is simple: yearly production × Rs 4.83 = your income. Predictable, no surprises.
Good to know: the 2026-27 Budget raised this tariff from Rs 4.20 to Rs 4.83 (+15%).
Option 2net metering: pay less, sell the rest at Rs 3.00
With net metering, your panels power your own home first. Every kWh produced is a kWh you no longer buy from the CEB, money that stays in your pocket. If there is a surplus, the CEB buys it at Rs 3.00 per kWh.
The detail that changes everything: at the CEB, the more you consume, the more your last kWh cost (the tariff climbs in steps, like income tax). The kWh your panels offset are precisely the most expensive ones on your bill : which is why net metering often earns more than Rs 4.83 per kWh for a family that consumes a lot.
(Above 500 kWh/month, a levy, the CST, slightly reduces the saving per kWh: Rs 0.82 between 501 and 1,000 kWh, Rs 1.63 beyond.)
A concrete example: a 350 kWh/month family
A family consuming 350 kWh per month installs 2.7 kWp of panels (production: about 4,240 kWh per year):
- • With gross metering: 4,240 kWh × Rs 4.83 ≈ Rs 20,500 per year (Rs 1,710/month)
- • With net metering: bill almost wiped out + small surplus ≈ Rs 26,200 per year (Rs 2,180/month)
Here net metering clearly wins, because this family consumes enough for its “top of the bill” kWh to be expensive.
⚠️ Indicative figures, based on a CEB tariff grid to be confirmed, your case may differ.
The simple rule
- Small bill (cheap kWh) → gross metering at Rs 4.83 is often the better deal.
- Medium or large bill (expensive kWh) → net metering usually earns more.
- Panels producing more than you consume → the surplus is only worth Rs 3.00 with net metering; gross metering can take the lead again.
No need to compute by hand: the calculator compares both options for your exact consumption, for free.
Compare for my home →For the general framework (eligibility, battery, procedure), see our guide to the CEB 2026 scheme.