With the cost of purchasing cooking gas in the country continuing to inflate, Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) has embarked on a mission to encourage Kenyans to use electricity to cook.
Through a series of well-thought-out reports shared on Thursday, June 9, KPLC explained that it is cheaper to cook with electricity as compared to gas.
According to the utility firm, using approved electric-powered appliances such as pressure cookers is ideal as they are efficient and also come with minimal to no side effects to the users.
To convince Kenyans to embrace electricity in their households, Kenya Power explained that boiling half a kilogram of yellow beans would cost Ksh5 which is seven times cheaper than using charcoal or gas.
An undated image of Kenya Power technicians making repairs
Kenya Power Twitter “When it comes to boiling heavy foods like githeri (a mixture of beans and maize), beans, matumbo (intestines), njahi (black beans), and others, electric pressure cookers are the best as it plays a bigger role in energy efficiency compared to other cooking fuels,” KPLC explained.
“Boiling 0.5 kg of yellow beans could take Ksh5, which is 7 times cheaper than charcoal or even LPG and 5 times cheaper than kerosene,” the company added.
The company argues that cooking with electricity would make a significant contribution to achieving sustainable development goals by enabling cost-effective access to modern energy and clean cooking.
This comes just a month after Kenya Renewable Energy Association (KEREA) established that it is cheaper to cook with grid electricity for domestic and small commercial users than cook with the three-kilogram LPG cylinder.
The survey established that it is cheaper to use the first 100 units of electricity for cooking compared to the use of cooking gas in a 50-kilogram cylinder.
The survey on the energy price index further recommended the setting of a time-of-day tariff for consumers using electricity while propping electricity sales in the off-peak period.
“By introducing a time-of-day tariff for domestic consumers, people can be encouraged to cook during off-peak hours using electricity and they can reduce their costs while increasing sales for the utility by increasing off-peak sales to the domestic market,” KEREA recommended.
File photo of burner igniting flames ready to be used for cooking
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