NEA launches a mobile app for meter reading, payment and complaints

On June 7, 2020, Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) launched a mobile application called NEA. Along with the mobile app, hotline service and a web portal were also brought forward. NEA came up with these internet tools amid the coronavirus pandemic so that we can continue our practice of social distancing and yet have our work done.

NEA allows consumers to read their electricity meters by themselves in their homes. Similarly, we can pay our electricity bills via the NEA app, limiting us from going outside of our homes to perform tasks related to electricity. Besides, it has several other features, which we will explore here.

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NEA has also launched a toll-free hotline number 1150, which is available 24 hours a day. They have a provision of discounts for on-time payments too.

NEA mobile app

This mobile app is available only for Android users, as of now. Find the download link of the NEA mobile app from the play store. While they promise to bring in iOS as well. The APK file has a small size of only 6.26 MB. As you open the app, you will enter the home page. The layout of the app at a first glance appears simple. NEA may request for access to some of your phone’s features such as camera, location, phone, storage, and others to operate.

The menu bar at the top-left corner displays six categories. They are Home, About Us, BOD, Publication, Annual Report, and Contact Us. On the top-right corner of the app is a torch shaped icon which on a click opens the torch of your phone. The body of the home page displays the following eight features of the app:

1. News and Updates: It opens a page with information related to electricity and NEA.
2. Online Bill Payment: On clicking Online Bill Payment, seven online payment platforms will appear on your screen and they are eSewa, Nepal Investment Bank Ltd, City Express Pvt. Ltd, Himalayan Bank Ltd, Pay point, Prabhu Bank Ltd, and Mahalaxmi Bikash Bank Ltd. You are required to click one of them, as per your convenience and continue with the payment.
3. Recruitment: It displays the vacancy announcements of NEA.
4. Bill Payment Inquiry: It opens a computerized bill of NEA. You can fill it and acquire an online bill.
5. DCS Contacts: It provides contact information of various Distribution centers around Nepal.
6. Self Meter Reading: It opens a login page. If you have already registered, you can log in else you start with registration. Fill up the Consumer Registration Form to continue. Then, enter the electricity meter reading of your home into the app.
7. No-light Numbers: To solve electricity-related problems, you can contact the numbers displayed there.
8. Complain: If you have any complaints about NEA, you can register them from the app.

NEA web portal

Though the mobile app appears as a mini version of the web portal, the web portal seems more elaborate with much extra information to offer. The page layout is sophisticated but not interactive. The mobile app should also include procedure information like in the web portal for the convenience of consumers.

Read in detail: How to read electricity meter yourself?

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As told, the mobile app was launched on June 7, 2020, yet it has been downloaded more than 10,000 times. That means this is just an update to the existing mobile app available for more than a year. Unfortunately, the app had already got a lot of negative reviews which is prior to this launch. It seems people had faced lots of issues before, but we are now hopeful of improvements with the new update. People are appreciating the initiation of NEA and they have faith in the NEA team that they will deal with the issues of the mobile app.

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It would be better if NEA works on the queries and issues of their clients because launching the NEA app is another step of Nepal towards digitalization. Transforming analog transaction into a digital transaction will not only enable us to maintain security/privacy, but it also saves time and promotes social distancing.