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A clean start – clean cooking in Kenya with a payas-you-cook smart meter

Cecilia Wanjiku is a mother of four. She lives with her family in the so-called “slumburb” of Kawangware, Kenya. When Kawangware is in the news it is often for its difficult living conditions. Many families cannot afford to send their children to school. Clean water and electricity are in short supply. While many families have access to LPG, they often cook with charcoal. It is at the start of the day when Wanjiku’s first decision regarding household energy must be made.

Charcoal takes nearly 20 minutes to heat up. However, charcoal is reliably available and she can purchase what is needed for the day close to her home at a cost she can afford.

LPG, on the other hand, burns cleaner and can cook meals faster. However, gas must be bought by the cylinder, which is inconvenient and expensive for many poorer households.

Envirofit’s SmartGas technology overcomes this barrier by offering users the ability to pay-as-youcook – or make daily LPG purchases using mobile money. These payments can be as little as $0.50 a day at a cost equal to or cheaper than charcoal. This flexibility is necessary because income can vary throughout the month.

“I like that I can buy gas in smaller amounts; a factor that ensures that I always have gas. I don’t have to save for a full cylinder refill, which was sometimes a challenge especially during those difficult curves of the month,” said Wanjiku.

Envirofit’s SmartGas cylinders use an Internet of things (IoT) smart meter technology, which allows consumers to pay for gas in daily increments, and communicate through mobile systems which schedule cylinder refills automatically before customers run out of gas.

This ensures a consistent, affordable supply of fuel, and removes the burden of refilling from Wanjiku’s schedule by having a full cylinder of LPG delivered safely to her door just as her current cylinder is running out of LPG.

Much of the cooking with LPG that takes place in Kawangware happens on cylinder-top burners. For larger families, a single burner isn’t enough to make a meal consisting of multiple dishes. Often, a charcoal stove is used as well, diminishing the positive health impact of LPG use. Envirofit also helps users upgrade their kitchen by financing a two-burner LPG stove. As LPG usage increases, households like the Wanjiku family benefit from more reliable, affordable and convenient access to modern fuels, and lowered exposure to smoke and soot.

“I like that I can buy gas in smaller amounts; a factor that ensures that I always have gas. I don’t have to save for a full cylinder refill, which was sometimes a challenge especially during those difficult curves of the month”

Cecilia Wanjiku, Smartgas customer in Kenya