Er.energyNP@Gmail.com

The Alternative Energy Promotion Center (AEPC) is distributing electric stoves free of charge to 300 students living in rented accommodation in the Kathmandu Valley amid continued disruptions in Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) supplies.

In a public notice issued on September 19, the AEPC invited applications primarily from undergraduate and postgraduate students from Indigenous and Dalit communities who are temporarily residing in rented accommodation in the Valley.

The initiative aims to provide relief to students affected by LPG supply disruptions while promoting the use of domestically generated electricity as an alternative source of cooking energy.

According to the AEPC, the program is intended to encourage the use of electric stoves as an alternative to LPG and increase domestic electricity consumption.

Consumers across the Kathmandu Valley have faced difficulties obtaining LPG cylinders in recent months, with supply disruptions attributed to factors including the US-Iran conflict and the blockage of the Prithvi Highway following the Bhotekoshi-Trishuli floods. Students living in rented rooms have been among those particularly affected by the shortage.

Applicants are required to submit a copy of their Nepali citizenship certificate, a recommendation letter from their educational institution, a student identity card, and proof of belonging to an endangered Indigenous or Dalit community. They must also submit a recommendation from the concerned authority confirming their community status.

According to the AEPC, priority will be given to students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds who have received recommendations or approval from the concerned local government and are studying at public or community educational institutions.