Around Rs. 600 million is spent annually to operate electricity bill collection counters under the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA). Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha has urged citizens to pay their electricity bills through digital platforms.

The NEA currently operates 655 bill collection counters under 129 distribution centers and their branches. Operating these counters costs around Rs. 597.9 million annually, equivalent to approximately Rs. 50 million per month.

Despite the increasing use of digital technology, around 73% of citizens still physically visit collection counters and wait in queues to pay their electricity bills. Minister Shrestha has called for greater public participation to change this practice and encouraged people to help family members, relatives, neighbors and senior citizens learn how to make digital payments.

Digital bill payments can save citizens time and transportation costs. Reducing cash transactions can also improve financial transparency and security. The budget currently spent on operating physical counters, as well as the staff deployed there, could potentially be redirected toward other customer services.

Minister Shrestha has urged citizens to view digital payment not merely as an alternative payment method but as part of a broader effort to improve public service delivery and make better use of public resources.