Kathmandu. The use of electric stoves has increased in Nepal in recent times. According to the latest data from the Customs Department, during the period from Shrawan to Falgun, 1.5 million 8,686 electric stoves were imported in Nepal in 2081/82 at a cost of Rs 314 million.
The electric stoves imported in this way have been classified into induction, infrared and other electric stoves. In the same period last year, 1 million 3,730 electric stoves were imported at a cost of Rs 226 million.
Currently, the largest number of stoves are imported to Nepal from China, while such stoves are also being imported from India, Qatar, Singapore, Bangladesh and Malaysia. Narayan Prasad Regmi, Director of the Customs Department, said that the use has increased because the government has taken a policy to encourage electric stoves. He said, “The government’s policy is to increase electricity consumption, and our policies are in line with that. Traders are importing electric stoves as per the market demand.”
Concerned experts and sellers say that the use of electric stoves has become easier due to improvements in electricity supply and rising prices of petroleum products in Nepal. They say that electric stoves, which entered many kitchens in Nepal during the fuel crisis of 2015, are becoming increasingly popular.
Energy expert Vijayaman Sherchan says that the gas emitted from the cylinder has significantly increased pollution, so its use should be discouraged.
He said, “Kathmandu is becoming polluted because of this, the use of gas and petrol is helping to create more pollution. To prevent pollution, it is necessary to use electricity as much as possible. Trillions of rupees are being spent on importing petrol products including gas every year. That is why it is necessary to use electric stoves, even if it is just to use electricity produced domestically.” If all Nepalis use electric stoves, they will save billions of rupees from going out of the country.’
According to him, the government should make consumers more aware of the use of electricity as electricity is cheaper than LP gas and is in the interest of the country. Resham Prasad Devkota, President of the Federation of Nepal Electrical Entrepreneurs, says that the demand for electric stoves is good in the market. According to him, the demand has increased because local levels are also encouraging such stoves.
Devkota said, ‘Municipalities are also promoting induction. They also have a policy. They have taken a policy that we should use electric stoves to consume our country’s electricity in our own country. It is natural for demand to increase.’
According to him, there is no shortage of electricity for cooking after the end of load shedding. For the same reason, the number of users is increasing. Consumers are easily using electric stoves because there are infrared stoves that can be used with any utensils. Devkota says that the government should increase public awareness about the use of electric stoves as there is still a lack of awareness.
Common users have also shown satisfaction with the use of electric stoves. Sapna Thapa of Baneshwor, as a representative letter, has also been using electric stoves since the blockade. He said that he was satisfied with its use.
He said, ‘During the blockade, gas was not available, so I used an electric stove. Using an electric stove has saved money and time on gas. It has also changed my daily life, I don’t have to wait while cooking. After setting a time and cooking, there is no stress. Another thing is that the dishes are not very dirty, so it is easy to succeed.’
A study conducted by the Energy Studies Center some time ago showed that cooking using electricity is almost half as cheap as using gas. The study concluded that the capacity of the electricity distribution system should also be increased along with the use of electric stoves.
The government had also announced in the budget to launch the ‘One House, One Electric Stove Campaign’. Recently, due to the policies taken to encourage electric stoves from the center to the provincial governments, its users have increased significantly.
The Gandaki government is distributing stoves by setting standards for the distribution of electric stoves based on grants. The government has adopted a policy to increase the consumption of electricity produced within the country. The Electricity Development Roadmap, 2081: 035, has set a target of generating 28,500 megawatts of electricity by 2081: 035. The roadmap aims to generate an additional 26,000 megawatts of electricity in the next 11 years.
Currently, the installed capacity is 3,403 megawatts, and the target is to consume 13,500 megawatts of the electricity produced in Nepal. Currently, Nepal consumes a maximum of 2,200 megawatts of electricity. Currently, the installed capacity of Nepal’s national transmission system has reached 3,400 megawatts. Currently, access to electricity has reached 99 percent of the population, and currently, the per capita consumption of electricity in Nepal is 410 units.
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