Kathmandu, March 28

Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA)’s 3.6 million customers will get 20 per cent discount on monthly tariff on electricity usage from March 14 to April 12 (Chaitra).

The board meeting of the NEA held on Friday, chaired by Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Barshaman Pun, decided to recommend to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers for the discount facility.

As per NEA, the decision to provide the discount facility was made with an aim to provide relief to the customers in such a trying situation when the country has been under a complete lockdown and also to encourage the use of electric induction stoves so as to minimise the use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

“We have been facing a shortage of cooking gas at the moment due to the lockdown,” Pun said, adding that the discount facility is not only to encourage the use of electric cooking appliances but also to provide relief to the people.

He said the COVID-19 pandemic could be used as an opportunity to shift from gas to electric cooking.

“On the one hand, the demand for electricity has decreased and on the other there is shortage of cooking gas,” said Minister Pun, adding that this is a good opportunity to shift from LPG which will also help the country bridge its trade deficit gap.

The recent meeting of the High Level Coordination Committee for Prevention and Control of COV- ID-19, led by Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Ishwar Pokhrel, decided to reduce electricity tariffs.

Stating that using induction stoves is cheaper than using LPG even when there is no tariff exemption, he added that with all the discount facilities being offered by the government, induction stoves will be much more feasible and economical.