‘Net metering’ is sometimes seen in the news in the context of promoting the

The correct answer is A. Net metering lets a household or consumer with a rooftop solar system draw power from the grid when needed and feed surplus generation back into it. The meter runs backward during surplus hours, and the consumer is billed only for net consumption. It is a policy tool to encourage distributed solar generation.

• B is wrong. Piped natural gas supply to kitchens is a city gas distribution issue under PNGRB and the petroleum ministry. It has no link to net metering.
• C is wrong. CNG conversion of motor cars is about vehicular fuel and emission norms, not electricity grid billing.
• D is wrong. Water meters belong to urban local bodies and water supply schemes. Net metering concerns electricity.

The core concept is distributed renewable generation and the consumer as a 'prosumer'. The policy is governed by the Electricity Act, 2003 and state electricity regulators, and the Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020 widened eligibility and size limits. For Mains GS-III, it links to energy security, the solar mission, and the financial health of discoms.

Trap: Aspirants sometimes confuse net metering with gross metering or with feed-in tariffs. Net metering offsets consumption against generation at the same site, which is a different billing arrangement.