IRENA backs cheaper electric cooking tariffs

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has implored countries to introduce cheaper tariffs for electric cooking, especially those that have surplus power.

Cooking using electricity, especially that produced from renewable sources, is seen as one of the key strategies towards cutting carbon emissions.

Majority of the world population, especially those living in poor countries particularly in Africa, Asia and South America lack access to clean cooking sources.

These dirty cooking sources not only pollute the environment but also expose them to adverse health conditions.

IRENA has advocated for countries to incentivize the transition to clean cooking sources by introducing a cheaper tariff especially for low power consumers.

In contexts with surplus generation capacity, consider the introduction of electric cooking tariffs to facilitate the adoption of electric cooking with a specific focus on expanding lifeline tariffs. Strong co-ordination needed among government, utilities/private mini-grid operators, and regulators

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The agency has further asked countries to recognize explicitly electric cooking as a mitigation technology solution under Article 6.4* to mobilize carbon financing and strengthen consumer access to electric cooking appliances, including through upfront cost financing schemes.

At the same time, IRENA noted that countries with relatively higher electricity access rates and low clean cooking access rates are not making sufficient use of electricity for cooking purposes.

The agency gave the example of Kenya, which has a long-standing history of maintaining a relatively high electricity rate, standing at about 76.5% in 2021, but continues to have lower usage of that electricity for cooking purposes.

It says that Kenya has made strides in setting electric cooking targets as part of its clean cooking energy mix for 2028.

Its strategy, however, assumes a conservative approach to projecting the share of electric cooking (4%) in the energy mix. It anticipates that low-income households will have difficulties in affording electricity for cooking. The roadmap gives top priority to bioethanol and LPG, assigning them the largest share in the clean cooking mix.

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Electric cooking is yet to really catch on despite efforts by Kenya Power which is running its Pika na Power campaign targeting to encourage more people to use electricity for cooking.

However, many customers remain skeptical due to the high cost of electricity in Kenya. The cost of power is the costliest in the region, thanks to a high base tariff and eight charges on the product.

Most urban households are adopting LPG which is not heavily taxes by the government, and are also increasing their use of bioethanol for cooking.

Most households in Kenya particularly in rural areas however are still heavily reliant on firewood, making it the most used energy source in Kenya.

This has cut Kenya’s forest cover over the decades, but the government is keen to roll back the lost tree cover through an initiative to plant billions of trees.

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