How to get a new electricity connection from NEA
Wiring a new house or shop and want the meter connected? Here is how the Nepal Electricity Authority application actually works: the online form, the documents you need before you start, choosing single-phase or three-phase, the wiring inspection, and the deposit.
Getting a new electricity connection in Nepal is a different job from paying your monthly bill. It is a one-time application to the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) that starts with an online form but ends with someone from your local NEA office physically checking your wiring before they will switch anything on. If you already have a connection and just want to work out what you owe each month, use the electricity bill calculator instead, this guide is about the process before that meter exists at all.
The short version: your building needs to be legally standing (naksha pass in hand, not just under construction), your internal wiring needs to be done by an NEA-listed electrician, and you need proof you own or have the right to occupy the land. NEA then inspects the site, you pay a security deposit and connection fee, and the meter goes in. For a straightforward domestic single-phase connection in a town already on the grid, people typically get connected within two to four weeks of a clean application. Rural areas, disputed land papers, or a three-phase industrial load can push that out considerably.
None of this is complicated once you know the order of operations, but people commonly waste weeks by applying before their wiring is actually inspection-ready, or by not realizing they need a three-phase connection until the inspector tells them their load is too high for single-phase. This guide walks through it in the order NEA expects.
What you need before you apply
NEA will not process an application for a plot with no legal structure on it. The connection is tied to a building, not a piece of land, so get these ready first.
- Land ownership document (lalpurja) or a rental/lease agreement plus the owner's consent if you're a tenant.
- Building permit (naksha pass) from your municipality or rural municipality, since NEA connects legally approved structures.
- Your citizenship certificate, and the National Identity Number if the local office is asking for it.
- A completed internal wiring job, done by an electrician NEA recognizes, before the site inspection stage.
- A recent passport-size photo and, for a commercial connection, your business registration and PAN.
Submit the application through NEA's customer portal
NEA runs an online customer service portal where you register an account and file the new connection request. If your local distribution centre isn't fully on the online system yet, the same application form is available at the counter, the paperwork is identical either way.
Fill in the applicant details, the property address matched to your naksha pass, the load you expect (in kW), and whether it's for a house, shop, or commercial use. This is also where you specify domestic or commercial tariff category, which affects your rate later.
- Go to NEA's customer portal (linked from nea.org.np) and register or log in.
- Select 'new connection' and choose your distribution centre or local NEA office by address.
- Enter the property details, ownership document number, and building permit number.
- State your expected connected load and pick single-phase or three-phase.
- Upload scans of the citizenship, land document, and naksha pass, then submit.
Single-phase or three-phase: which one you actually need
Most ordinary homes run on a single-phase connection, usually rated at 5, 15 or 30 ampere depending on how much you'll draw. A house with a few rooms, standard lighting, a fridge, a TV and a couple of motors is fine on single-phase.
Three-phase becomes necessary once your load gets heavy or unbalanced, a workshop running a large motor, an elevator, a flour mill, a decent-sized commercial building, or a house with a big water pump and heavy air conditioning load all around. If you're not sure, tell NEA your expected kW and the office will tell you which category fits; guessing wrong just means paying for another site visit later to upgrade.
- Single-phase: standard domestic homes, small shops, low combined load.
- Three-phase: workshops, larger commercial buildings, heavy motors or pumps, apartment blocks.
- Ampere band (5A/15A/30A/60A) is decided based on your declared load, and it's what determines your fixed service charge later.
Site inspection and the wiring test
Once your application is logged, NEA schedules a site visit. A technician from the local office checks that the building exists as described and that the internal wiring was done properly by a listed electrician.
This is the step people underestimate. NEA will not energize a connection on wiring it hasn't approved, so wrong-gauge cable, skipped earthing, or a distribution board below standard sends you back to fix it and rebook. Get the wiring passed before you expect the meter, not after.
- The wiring must be done by an electrician registered with or recognized by NEA.
- Earthing, a properly rated distribution board, and correct cable sizing for your declared load are checked.
- If the inspection fails, you fix the flagged issue and NEA re-inspects, this is the most common source of delay.
- Once passed, the office issues a demand note for the deposit and connection charges.
Pay the deposit and connection charge, then get metered
After a passed inspection, NEA issues a demand note listing the security deposit (refundable, held against your account) and the connection/service charge, which depends on your ampere band or phase category. Pay this at the office or through the accepted online/bank channels, and keep the receipt.
Once payment clears, NEA installs the meter and energizes the line. In practice, urban and semi-urban single-phase connections on an existing grid line often complete in two to four weeks from application to live meter, assuming your documents and wiring were in order the first time. Three-phase or commercial connections, or any site needing new pole or line extension work, take longer, sometimes a few months, because NEA has to schedule the line extension separately. Confirm the current deposit amount, connection fee and expected timeline for your category at your local NEA office or on nea.org.np, since these vary by ampere band and region and NEA updates them periodically.
If your area isn't on the grid yet
This is now rare outside remote hill and mountain settlements, but in places NEA's grid hasn't reached, connection usually comes through a community rural electrification or micro-hydro scheme rather than a direct NEA line, and the application route is different, check with your local rural municipality or the relevant rural electrification entity for that process.
Key takeaways
- ✓A new NEA connection needs a legally built structure: apply with your naksha pass and land document in hand, not before construction is done.
- ✓The application starts on NEA's customer portal, or at the counter if your office isn't fully online yet.
- ✓Choose single-phase for ordinary homes and three-phase for heavy or commercial loads; NEA can confirm the right category from your declared load.
- ✓Internal wiring must be done by an NEA-recognized electrician and pass site inspection before the meter goes in.
- ✓You pay a refundable security deposit plus a connection charge after the inspection passes, before energization.
- ✓A clean single-phase application in a serviced area often takes two to four weeks; three-phase, commercial, or new-line-extension cases take longer.
- ✓Once connected, use the NEA electricity bill calculator to estimate your monthly bill from your ampere band and units used.
How to Get a New NEA Electricity Connection in Nepal, FAQ
Can I apply for a new NEA connection entirely online?+
You can submit the application and upload your documents through NEA's customer portal, but the site inspection and wiring check are done in person, and payment is often made at the office or a linked bank channel. It isn't a fully remote process.
Do I need the building permit (naksha pass) before applying?+
Yes. NEA connects a legally approved structure, not raw land or a building under construction without an approved plan. Have your naksha pass ready along with your land ownership document.
How do I know if I need single-phase or three-phase?+
Ordinary homes with standard appliances are fine on single-phase (5A, 15A or 30A depending on load). Heavier or commercial loads, large motors, workshops, elevators, big pumps, typically need three-phase. Declare your expected load on the application and NEA will tell you which category applies.
Why did my wiring inspection fail?+
Usually because the wiring wasn't done by an electrician NEA recognizes, or because earthing, cable sizing or the distribution board don't meet NEA's standard for your declared load. Fix the specific issue flagged and NEA will re-inspect; there's no separate appeal process, just a correction and a repeat visit.
How much does a new connection cost and how long does it take?+
It depends on your ampere band or phase category and whether NEA needs to extend a line to reach you, so confirm the current security deposit, connection fee and expected timeline at your local NEA office or on nea.org.np. As a rough guide, a straightforward single-phase connection on an existing line often takes two to four weeks once documents and wiring are in order; three-phase or new-line cases take longer.
Sources & data note
The sources listed are the authorities that publish the rules and procedure this guide describes; the step ordering, timelines and explanations are our own synthesis written for a general reader, and individual fees or waiting periods are not separately cited to a page. NEA's connection charges, deposits and processing times vary by ampere band, phase category and region and change periodically, confirm the current figures for your case at your local NEA office or on nea.org.np before you apply or pay. Guides are written from primary sources, Nepali government departments, operators, park authorities and standards bodies, and each guide lists the sources used for its own facts. Rules, fees and prices in Nepal change; treat figures as current at the review date shown on each guide and verify anything money- or visa-critical with the issuing authority before you rely on it.