How Electric Pressure Cookers (EPC) solve household cooking dilemmas
Like most developing countries, Uganda still heavily relies on firewood and charcoal for cooking. This is characterised by the use of inefficient technologies like the three stone stove and metallic cased stoves.
This rudimentary technology exposes users to health hazards in the form of indoor air pollution and burns.
The uptake and adoption of clean cooking technologies and fuels in the country is still low with only 1.4% of the population using either electricity or alternative non-biomass fuels such as Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) to cook. Regarding e-cooking, only 4% of the 76% households that have access to electricity use it as their primary cooking fuel.
To promote uptake of electricity and encourage adoption of modern and clean cooking technologies, the Government of Uganda through the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development (MEMD) in partnership with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Energising Development (EnDev) Uganda, and Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS) Programme put in place a e-cooking pilot under the Innovation Window.
The main objective of the pilot is to expand market intelligence on e-cooking in Uganda, establish and strengthen supply networks to facilitate access to at least 400 Electric Pressure Cookers (EPCs) for household use.
Electric Pressure Cookers are an energy efficient technology that uses the power of steam pressure and temperature to cook.
Through a combination of insulation, pressurisation, and automation, it delivers an extremely energy-efficient cooking service that makes cooking faster, easier, and more affordable. Its ability to automatically turn off heating elements once operating pressure is reached further makes it most convenient and safest cooking technologies.
The government is optimistic that electric cooking provides a sustainable alternative to firewood and charcoal for cooking on both household and commercial levels.
Recent feasibility and market studies also confirm that e-cooking is a method that saves the most time, and consumes the least energy compared to other biomass fuels/improved cooking technologies commonly used to prepare Ugandan meals such as matooke, beans, among others.
However, one challenge that stands to be addressed is the product cost. The average cost of Electric Pressure Cookers (EPCs) ranges from between Shs 350,000 – Shs 416,000 ($ 94- $ 110).
Others, especially those supported by off grid connections cost as high as Shs 2,000,000.
According to Ruth Komuntale- the managing Director of ECOCA-East Africa, 80% of the product price is attributed importation of raw materials/electronic components.
Ruth also adds that they are currently in negotiations with government to subsidise the prices through tax waivers and other favorable policies including the e-cooking strategy by MEMD that is yet to be developed.
This will improve the framework conditions in the clean cooking and e-cooking sector, to further promote the transition, adoption, and sustained use of modern energy cooking technologies and services in Uganda.
By Solomon Atepo, Eve Mashoo and Victoria Butegwa
