Kathmandu, May 14 -- Load-shedding has become history, and people now have no qualms about splurging on electrical home appliances like refrigerators, electric fans, air conditioners and coolers, and demand has taken off accordingly, traders said.

A regular supply of power means householders no longer have to worry that their expensive purchases will sit like a piece of furniture when the electricity goes off. Since 2017, the country has been free from the brownouts that had been a curse for decades. The energy shortage dampened sales of home appliances, but merchants were not complaining because backup power equipment like batteries and generators were flying off the shelves.

According to the Department of Customs, the country imported...