Despite the expansion of subsidised cooking gas connections across rural India, only 23 per cent of rural households rely exclusively on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for cooking, highlighting a significant gap between access to clean cooking fuel and sustained usage.
Around 73 per cent of rural households reported using an LPG cylinder at least once during the previous three months, according to findings by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW). However, half of rural households continue to depend primarily on firewood for cooking.
The difference between rural and urban adoption remains substantial. Exclusive LPG usage stands at 70 per cent among households in urban informal settlements, while rural consumers continue to face challenges related to affordability and supply. Only 47 per cent of rural LPG users receive cylinders through doorstep delivery.
Refill Cost Emerges As Key Barrier
Affordability remains one of the biggest constraints to sustained LPG usage. The study found that if a standard 14.2 kg cylinder refill were priced at Rs 400, at least 80 per cent of rural households, residents of urban informal settlements and migrant workers said they would shift entirely to LPG.
That level is considerably below the effective subsidised price of Rs 642 per cylinder under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY). Across the groups surveyed, the median amount consumers were willing to pay stood at Rs 500.
The findings indicate that expanding connections alone may not be sufficient to achieve universal clean cooking adoption, with recurring refill expenditure emerging as an important factor determining whether households continue using LPG.
Migrant Households Face Access Challenges
The study also found significant barriers among migrant LPG users. About 79 per cent do not have a formal LPG connection, while fewer than 4 per cent are enrolled under PMUY, despite policy changes introduced in 2021 to simplify self-declaration requirements.
Housing conditions also have a strong relationship with fuel choices. Around 70 per cent of migrants living on footpaths or in open spaces depend exclusively on solid fuels, compared with 11 per cent of those living in rented accommodation.
Consumers without formal access can also face substantially higher fuel costs. Migrants purchasing LPG through kirana stores or unauthorised roadside dealers pay around Rs 71 per kg, more than 20 per cent above the Rs 59 per kg paid through formal connections.
Informal LPG Purchases Push Up Costs
Access to formal connections remains an issue in urban informal settlements as well. Around 31 per cent of households without a formal connection said they had been turned away because they lacked proof of address.
As a result, 11 per cent purchase cylinders through informal channels. These households reported paying around Rs 1,040 per cylinder, compared with an official retail price of Rs 803 at the time the survey was conducted.
The findings underscore a continuing divide between LPG availability and exclusive adoption, with refill affordability, formal connection requirements, housing insecurity and last-mile delivery emerging as key barriers to wider clean cooking fuel usage.