A recent study commissioned by the Shell Foundation and implemented by Gamos under the MECS programme has shed new light on the impact of Electric Pressure Cookers (EPCs) on households in East Africa. The research, which explored the experiences of consumers in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania who participated in commercial pilots of Burn’s early models of ecoa-branded EPCs, reveals significant cost and time savings for users, particularly those reliant on charcoal as their primary cooking fuel.
The study involved data collection from 324 households—200 in Uganda, 100 in Kenya, and 24 in Tanzania—who engaged in action research studies designed to assess the product-market fit of EPCs in the region. The findings suggest that EPCs are well-suited to East African culinary traditions and highly valued by users for their versatility and efficiency in cooking.
One of the standout findings of the research was the substantial savings in both cost and time for households that adopted the EPC, especially those previously using charcoal as their primary source of fuel. By using electricity instead of charcoal, households were able to reduce both their cooking costs and the time spent preparing meals, which is a crucial advantage in fast-paced, low-resource settings. This is particularly important as the region continues to grapple with the health and environmental challenges posed by reliance on biomass fuels like charcoal and firewood.
Despite these advantages, the study also highlighted some barriers to fully replacing biomass with EPCs in many households.
While the EPC proved versatile and adapted well to East African cooking needs, most households indicated that they would still require additional appliances or clean cooking devices to fully transition away from traditional biomass cooking methods. This indicates that while the EPC is a powerful tool for improving efficiency, a full switch to clean cooking may require more comprehensive adoption of complementary technologies.
The research also pointed to the importance of tailored sales, marketing, and after-sales support services to increase the adoption and usage of EPCs.
The study emphasized the need for organizations and country teams involved in the clean cooking sector to carefully design strategies that effectively communicate the versatility and value of EPCs to potential customers. Without such efforts, the study warned, the usage rates—and therefore the impacts—of EPCs in the region could remain low.
While the findings of the study show promise for the role of EPCs in improving cooking practices in East Africa, they also highlight the need for continued investment in complementary technologies and support services.
This comprehensive approach could help drive wider adoption of clean cooking solutions, ultimately contributing to improved health, environmental sustainability, and economic efficiency across the region.
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