The constraints affecting the cooking transition from LPG to induction stoves in Indonesia

The provision of access to clean cooking energy remains a significant challenge for many developing countries. This paper explores the constraints facing Indonesia's potential next cooking transition, from LPG to electric induction stoves. In 2024, 84% of Indonesia's households used subsidized 3 kg LPG cannisters as the main fuel for cooking. However, the increasing demand for foreign exchange and the rising fiscal burden associated with LPG supply have prompted the government to explore alternative options. We examine a pilot project, launched at the G20 Summit in Bali in 2022, to encourage the adoption of induction stoves in two provinces, Bali and Central Java. Four different dimensions of the transition are explored: economic and financial; CO 2 emissions; system requirements; gender and social inclusion. Through a comprehensive series of interviews and focus group discussions, combined with a survey of 100 participants in the pilot, we identify the key constraints that are slowing the adoption of induction stoves and the policies which would be needed to facilitate such a transition.