The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has magnified household preferences for convenience and affordability, presenting challenges as well as opportunities for the transition to clean cooking fuels. Initial findings from a study in rural Kenya suggest that the pandemic and lockdown have altered household cooking practices and fuel-use patterns.

Since the onset of COVID19, charcoal and LPG have become more scarce and more expensive.… Participants in the control group reported increased use of wood and other biomass obtained close to home and reduced use of LPG, extending cooking times.

COVID-19 is nudging middle-income households to switch to modern cooking fuels (biogas and electricity), because these have been less disrupted by the COVID restrictions. However, without external support, COVID-19 will push poorer households further down the energy ladder.