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Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Biraj Bhakta Shrestha said studies have shown that leaving unused electrical appliances on standby or chargers plugged in can result in unnecessary electricity consumption amounting to 5 to 20 percent of total household electricity use.

Minister Shrestha said such continuous electricity consumption by unused appliances is commonly referred to as an “energy vampire” or “phantom energy,” and urged consumers to use electricity efficiently and responsibly.

According to him, the number of electricity consumers in Nepal has reached around 6 to 6.5 million. He said that when small amounts of unnecessary electricity consumption in each household are added together, they can have a significant impact on the overall power system.

“Every household has multi plug boards. Studies have shown that simply leaving chargers plugged into multip plug boards, keeping TVs on standby and similar practices can account for 5 to 20 percent of electricity consumption,” Minister Shrestha said. “This is called ‘energy vampire’ or ‘phantom energy.’”

He said reducing unnecessary electricity consumption would help lower the additional load on transformers and make electricity supply management easier. As consumers themselves have to bear the direct consequences when problems occur in the power system, he stressed the need to promote responsible electricity use through public awareness.

“Why let electricity go to waste when it can be used? It unnecessarily increases the load on transformers,” he said. “If a transformer blows or there is a problem with the electricity supply tomorrow, consumers themselves will be affected. That is why I have made a humble request to use electricity efficiently and responsibly.”

Minister Shrestha clarified that he was not asking citizens to stop using electrical appliances, but rather seeking to reduce unnecessary consumption and thereby lower the burden on the power system.

He said efficient electricity use has become even more important at a time when electricity demand is rising and the energy sector has suffered damage from floods and landslides. As electricity demand is expected to increase further during the coming winter, he urged consumers to start controlling unnecessary consumption from now.

Government offices also urged to switch off unnecessary lights

Minister Shrestha said efficient electricity use should not be limited to the general public but should also be implemented in government offices. He said coordination was underway with administrative bodies at the local, provincial and federal levels to ensure that unnecessary lights and electrical appliances are switched off after offices close at night.

According to him, government offices in the past were found to have heaters, fans, air conditioners and other appliances running even after office hours. This time, however, efforts are being made in coordination with administrative bodies to prevent unnecessary electricity consumption.

“We are trying to instill a sense of responsibility—from local governments to provincial governments and federal government administrative offices—to switch off unnecessary lights and prevent unnecessary electricity consumption after offices close at night,” Minister Shrestha said.

He stressed that there was no problem with using electricity when necessary, but that electricity being wasted without being used should be avoided.

According to Minister Shrestha, the two major floods in recent times have had a significant impact on the energy sector. He said one of the floods had a particularly severe impact, while the energy sector is still undergoing restoration following the damage caused by the other.

With electricity demand rising and the restoration of energy infrastructure still underway, he urged the general public and government agencies to be more mindful of efficient electricity use during the coming winter.

Jalasarokar