Electric Cooking vs LPG in India: Cost Advantage, Challenges and Policy Shift

A recent analysis based on studies by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) highlighted that electric cooking is becoming cheaper than LPG in India, raising policy debates on shifting households from gas-based cooking to electric cooking.

About Electric Cooking

• Electric cooking refers to the use of electricity-powered appliances such as induction cooktops, electric stoves, and electric pressure cookers for preparing food.
  • It replaces traditional cooking fuels like LPG, kerosene, and biomass.
• Types of Appliances
  • Induction cooktops – use electromagnetic heating.
  • Electric hotplates/coils – use resistive heating.
  • Electric pressure cookers – energy-efficient and time-saving.
  • Microwave ovens – used for reheating and limited cooking.

Rationale for Shifting to Electric Cooking in India

• Economical: An IEEFA study from October 2025 found that electric cooking is 37% cheaper than non-subsidised LPG and 14% cheaper than piped natural gas without any electricity subsidy.
• Efficiency Gap: Electric pressure cookers, tested across the MECS programme’s multi-country cooking diaries, use less energy than any other device assessed.
• • For Example: Induction cooktops transfer about 85% of energy to the vessel; an LPG burner manages roughly 40%.
• Reducing Import Dependence: India imports a significant share of LPG, making cooking energy vulnerable to global supply disruptions, especially through the Strait of Hormuz.
• Supporting Renewable Energy Integration: Electric cooking can be powered by rooftop solar systems, enabling households to act as prosumers.

Advantages of Electric Cooking

• Higher Energy Efficiency: Induction cooktops achieve 85–90% efficiency, while LPG stoves utilise only 35–40% of energy, leading to significant energy savings. 
• Reduced Energy Wastage: LPG cooking loses nearly 60% heat to the surroundings, whereas induction directly heats the vessel, minimising wastage.
• Faster Cooking Time: Induction cooktops heat faster and can reduce cooking time significantly compared to LPG-based cooking. 
• Lower Environmental Impact: Electric cooking reduces reliance on fossil fuels and can be powered by renewable energy, helping cut household emissions and indoor pollution. 

Challenges in Transition to Electric Cooking

• Peak Electricity Demand: India’s peak demand rose from 148 GW in 2014 to a record 242.5 GW in December 2025 indicating rising energy needs.
  • Evening cooking hours (9–11 PM) coincide with this peak, and can further intensify grid stress.

• Cooking Behaviour and Technology Constraints: Indian cooking often involves multi-pot cooking, chapati preparation, and high heat techniques making single-plate induction inadequate.For Example: The Energy and Resources Institute highlights the need for multi-pot, flame-like induction technologies to enable mass adoption, given the low (~5%) electric cooking share.
• Lack of Access in Rural Areas: Both the International Institute of Sustainable Development and IEEFA recommend starting electric cooking with urban kitchens, freeing imported LPG for rural areas that still lack reliable electricity.
• Grid Infrastructure Limitations: Many households currently have 3 kW load capacity, which may be insufficient for multiple electric appliances.
  • For instance,  upgrading transformers and distribution infrastructure requires major investments.

Government Initiatives

• National Efficient Cooking Programme (NECP): It aims to deploy around 20 lakh (2 million) energy-efficient induction cookstoves across India to promote electric cooking. 
• Go Electric Campaign: Initiative of the Ministry of Power to promote electrification of energy use, including cooking.
• Bulk Procurement Model by EESL: EESL uses bulk procurement (like UJALA LEDs) to reduce costs of induction cooktops and improve accessibility.
  • Helps in scaling adoption through affordable pricing and large-scale distribution.
• The Bureau of Energy Efficiency launched star labelling for induction hobs. 

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Way Forward

• Reducing Grid Load: Rooftop solar with battery storage enables households to become ‘prosumers’, generating electricity by day and using stored energy in the evening for induction cooking, thereby reducing peak load.
  • For Example: A 2025 Australian national-grid study referred to a halving of peak lead and reduction of grid reinforcement costs by 75% when residential electrification was combined with rooftop solar, batteries, and off-peak scheduling.
• Harnessing Solar Capacity: India’s rooftop solar capacity is projected to more than double from 24 GW in 2026 to over 41 GW by 2030, boosted by the PM-Surya Ghar Yojana, which aims to give 300 units of free electricity to ten million households.
• Promote Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Energy Trading: Surplus solar electricity should be both stored and traded, with P2P energy trading enabling households to sell excess power directly to neighbours via digital platforms, reducing reliance on discoms and flattening local peak demand
  • For Example: In Lucknow, South Asia’s first blockchain-based P2P solar trading pilot project led by the India Smart Grid Forum and Australia’s Powerledger, under a regulatory sandbox approved by the UP Electricity Regulatory Commission is functioning.
• Rationalising LPG Subsidy for Electric Cooking: Redirect part of the estimated ₹40,000 crore annual LPG subsidy towards one-time capital support for induction cooktops.
• R&D for India-Specific Induction Technologies: Fund R&D on multi-pot induction technology designed for Indian cooking. And mandate all-electric construction for new residential buildings in Tier-1 cities. 

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