The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) has seen a concerning rise in electricity leakage this fiscal year. The leakage rate reached 10.76% in 2081/82, up from 9.59% the previous year. That’s a jump of 1.17 percentage points, which means the system is losing more electricity than before.
This increase came after Hitendra Shakya took over as the new Executive Director of NEA.
Big jumps in certain regions
Some parts of the country reported especially sharp rises in leakage:
- Koshi Province saw an increase of 2.4 percentage points
- Sudurpaschim went up by 2.24 points
- Hetauda Division recorded a 2.45-point rise
These numbers suggest regional management or infrastructure issues may be playing a role.
While there were minor improvements in Madhesh and Karnali provinces, both still have high leakage levels. This indicates that although some progress is being made, it’s not enough to offset growing problems elsewhere.
Over 1.36 Billion units lost
NEA received a total of 12.64 billion units of electricity in FY 2081/82. Out of this, only 11.28 billion units were sold to consumers. The remaining 1.36 billion units were lost through leakage—either due to technical faults like outdated lines and transformers, or non-technical reasons such as electricity theft.
It’s important to note that these are preliminary figures. The NEA has not yet released the final confirmed data for the year, which may result in slight adjustments.
This rising leakage trend is likely to raise concerns among energy experts, especially at a time when Nepal is expanding power generation and eyeing exports.
