Project overview

Delivering affordable modern cookstoves and biomass pellets to low-income households through an innovative delivery model called the ‘utility model’.

 

 

The Problem

Using dirty fuels and inefficient cooking stoves harms the environment and communities' health worldwide. Unfortunately, transitioning populations to clean cooking is enormously challenging because of three main reasons: affordability, availability, and sustained adoption. 

Current delivery models of clean cooking solutions face these barriers, making them not viable at scale, especially when targeting low-income communities. The innovation hopes to address the exposure of low-income households to harmful gasses during cooking due to the use of firewood and charcoal, and deforestation due to cutting down trees for firewood or making charcoal.

The Solution

Emerging Cooking Solutions (ECS) have pioneered a delivery model (“Utility Model”) that provides affordable access to clean cooking for low-income communities. ECS-manufactured pellets from biomass (waste) are an excellent alternative to charcoal and firewood. These pellets are then used in a gasifying stove that extracts gasses and burns them as a clean and controllable flame through the use of an integrated variable fan. This clean cooking solution is then delivered by ECS through an innovative distribution model that allows income households to access the expensive gasifying stoves at minimal fees on the condition that they commit to buying a minimum of 30 kilograms of pellets monthly. 

Distributed 300 stoves, enabling over 1000 individuals to cook meals cleanly and efficiently.
1000
distributed 300 stoves, enabling over 1000 individuals to cook meals cleanly and efficiently.
set up 19 distribution points through group leaders for the 19 Village Banking groups,
19
set up 19 distribution points through group leaders for the 19 Village Banking groups.
Each household saved an average of 51% on monthly cooking fuel expenses.
51%
each household saved an average of 51% on monthly cooking fuel expenses.
WFP's Electric Cooking Solutions delivers affordable modern cookstoves and biomass pellets to low-income households through an innovative delivery model called the ‘utility model’.
WFP's Electric Cooking Solutions delivers affordable modern cookstoves and biomass pellets to low-income households through an innovative delivery model called the ‘utility model’.
The Way Forward

This project aims to reach 300 families. ECS aims to onboard 300 households within Lusaka in the peri-urban areas before the end of 2023 and measure impact by monitoring their pellet consumption and usage of the stove. Beyond this project, over 10 years, ECS aims to reach a minimum of 1 million households.

“Previously, I would spend more than k1000 on cooking fuel, but with the mimimoto, my monthly expenditure on cooking fuel has reduced to either k260 or k130. Additionally, the stove allows me to prepare meals in the shortest possible time”.
Namate Liangwile, Customer from Chilenje

Meet the team

Marion Peterson
Marion Peterson
Chief Operations Officer
Towela Nyirenda
Towela Nyirenda
Sales & After Sales Manager
Last updated: 14/03/2024