Liquefied Petroleum Gas and Pellet Fuels as Replacements for Charcoal Cooking: Household Energy Transitions Observed in Urban Rwanda

Household cooking with solid fuels (e.g., wood, charcoal, and coal) is a major source of indoor and outdoor air pollution in developing countries. Replacing these fuels with biomass pellets may improve combustion, leading to health and economic benefits, while using a renewable fuel. One of the lowest emission pellet stoves (Mimi-Moto) was studied as it was adopted and used over the course of a five year panel in Gisenyi, Rwanda. Incidentally, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stoves were also adopted in the same communities. Here we provide a real-world observational study of household energy transitions as new fuels were adopted and dis-adopted in the context of dominant charcoal cooking (N = 1922 households). In 2015, only 5% of households used LPG, but by 2020, 42% had LPG in the home. These households used LPG for 56% of their meals, on average, with moderate, but significant, growth within households over time. Most LPG adopting households continued to use some charcoal, which dominates household emissions. Households using pellet stoves had high levels of initial adoption, but declining use over time, including high rates of dis-adoption relative to LPG. Yet, pellet stoves were adopted by less wealthy households compared to LPG. When pellet stove users dis-adopted, they tended to revert back to charcoal use rather than "climbing the theoretical energy ladder" to adopt LPG. This work highlights the possibility of clean biomass pellet stoves to reach those in poorer economic strata and the reality of a rapid and robust ongoing LPG energy transition in the residential sector.