People, Energy and Environment Development Association (PEEDA) along with partners Kathmandu Alternative Power and Energy Group (KAPEG) and the University of Bristol had implemented Electric Cooking Outreach (ECO) project in Mahankal Rural Municipality in South Lalitpur district that ended back in December 2021, under the Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS) programme funded by the Loughborough University, UK.

Similarly, the nodal agency of the Government of Nepal for renewable energy, the Alternative Energy Promotion Center (AEPC), also supported e-cooking technologies to around 2000 households for free in the same Mahankal Rural Municipality later after the intervention of PEEDA. Thus, there are curiosities among us to understanding e-cooking usage since the project ended; assess the comparison between the two different beneficiaries groups (one who received Electric Pressure Cookers for free supported by AEPC and the other group which paid partly for Electric Pressure Cookers supported by PEEDA) and engage stakeholders in measures to overcome challenges to electric cooking.

The objectives of the study are as follows:

1. Assess the impact of subsidies on the usage of eCooking appliances in Mahankal Rural Municipality.
2. Create an inventory of eCooking appliance repair and maintenance issues
3. Identify, train, and monitor local stakeholders to provide after-sales services for eCooking.

Project Duration: March 2023 – September 2023