Affordability of clean cooking solutions like liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stoves is one of the biggest barriers to reducing exposure to household air pollution in resource-poor households. New research suggests that “pay-as-you-go” smart meter technology can help address the affordability challenges of clean cooking by enabling incremental fuel payments for households in place of paying the full upfront cost of a LPG cylinder.

A recent study assessing pay-as-you-go LPG cooking patterns showed that in spite of economic and other hardships, the amount of LPG consumed by households remained relatively stable, illustrating how smart meter technology may have  maintained a healthier home environment for at-risk populations during the lockdown.

Read more: WHO