Adoption of innovative energy efficiency pots to enhance sustained use of clean cooking with gas in resource-poor households in Kenya: Perceptions from participants of a randomized controlled trial.

Scaling up clean cooking is a priority to address the substantial health burden from exposure to household air pollution resulting from burning of polluting fuels. The costs of cooking equipment and fuel, as well as cooking behaviors, may present barriers to adoption and sustained use of clean cooking. This paper reports novel qualitative findings from a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) evaluating the effects of innovative energy-efficient cooking pots on sustained use of LPG for the first time in a low and middle-income setting. Semi-structured interviews (SSIs) were conducted with 22 of 200 cooks (LPG primary users) from an informal settlement in Nairobi, participating in the RCT. Data were analysed through thematic analysis. Reported benefits of the enhanced pots (compared to standard pots), included perceived fuel and time savings and prestige. Findings also indicate participants' willingness to pay for the pots and ways to support their scale. This study highlights the potential for energy-efficient pots in facilitating sustained/exclusive clean cooking with LPG and their ability to meet all cooking needs. This is relevant to informing commercial scalability of energy-efficient cookware in the local Kenyan market. • Adoption of clean cooking fuels such as LPG is a priority for sustainable development. • Cooking speed and heat retention were valued aspects of the tested innovative cookware • Innovative cookware can support greater uptake of LPG among low-income households. • Affordability is key for innovative cookware to be promoted in the Kenyan market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]