Understanding the impact of electric pressure cookers (EPCs) in East Africa: A synthesis of data from Burn Manufacturing’s early piloting
This study explores the experience of customers who have purchased Burn’s early models of electric pressure cookers in commercial pilots.
Abstract
This study sought to understand the impacts of Electric Pressure Cookers (EPCs) in East Africa by exploring the experience of customers who have purchased Burn’s early models of ecoa-branded Electric Pressure Cooker (EPC) in commercial pilots carried out in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. The analysis was commissioned by Shell Foundation and implemented by Gamos under the MECS programme to understand the product/market fit of EPCs in East Africa by investigating the experiences of clients who had purchased Burn’s early models of EPC in commercial pilots. Data was collected from 200 households in Uganda, 24 in Tanzania and 100 in Kenya, who participated in action research studies designed to understand the product/market fit of EPCs in East Africa.
Here are some key findings:
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There were considerable cost and time savings for households that acquired an EPC, in particular for those using charcoal as their primary fuel.
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The EPC is versatile, well matched with East African cuisine and highly valued by users. However, in most households it would need to be complemented by another appliance (or clean cooking device) to enable a transition completely away from biomass.
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This study highlighted the need for new organizations/country teams to carefully craft sales, marketing, and after-sales support services to enable new customers to understand the versatility of the EPC, or the usage rates (and therefore impacts) of EPCs will be low.
This report is part of the Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS) Programme.
Citation
Leary J and others. Understanding the impact of electric pressure cookers (EPCS) in East Africa: A synthesis of data from Burn Manufacturing’s early piloting MECS Report 2023