Adopting a behavioural change approach for clean cookstove market development

SNV has been an EnDev partner in Nepal since 2014, where the EnDev energy access programme currently being implemented in Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces is in its third phase.

One of the third phase objectives is to increase households' access to clean energy for cooking and lighting and establish financially sustainable and inclusive energy markets. Also, to promote the induction cooktop (IC) in the urban-centric areas using the result-based financing (RBF) model. The induction cooktop operates through electricity, and it is a zero-emission cooking stove.

Over the next few years in Nepal, it is predicted that electricity generation will exceed demand in the coming years; therefore, Nepal must find alternative energy sources. Nepal holds considerable potential to generate clean electricity from hydropower and only a fragment of the potential has been utilised till now. The electricity generated from this hydropower is mainly used for lighting purposes. The utilisation of electricity as a fuel for cooking is low and concentrated in urban areas.

Firewood has been the primary fuel for cooking in Nepal. Around 68% of households (HHs) still do not have clean/improved cooking access. Most urban households cook using imported liquid petroleum gas (LPG) stoves. Therefore, the promotion of induction cooktops  addresses three issues:

• The carbon emission reduction from cookstoves

• The consumption of surplus electricity

• Saving foreign currency of Nepal

The induction cooktop utilises heating electrically conductive materials like metals by electromagnetic induction. It is estimated that around 90% of the electricity drawn by induction cooktop is used for heating. Apart from being clean, it is also an efficient cooking technology. The user can control the heat as well as temperature instantly.

A Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP) is an approach that models the human behaviour change into three steps: acquiring knowledge, generating attitudes, and implementing the practice. This approach assumes that knowledge within a person is a fundamental awareness factor for behaviour change. After this knowledge, they try to make a belief and attitude that act as a driving force for the action, i.e., practice.

The KAP model is adopted in marketing technological products in which people's behaviour change is required. It is also applied in development where behaviour change is an objective of the intervention.

An induction cooktop is a technological product which is the rationale for using this approach. We conducted a study based on KAP to assess the acceptance of induction cooktops by the urban-centric community of Karnali and Sudurpaschim Province in Nepal.

The objective of the study was to know:

• What is people's understanding of the induction cooktop?

• What has been practised?

• What are the enabling environments and barriers to using induction cooktops?

A quantitative method was designed for the study that targeted two respondent groups: 1) IC users, i.e., EnDev Beneficiary and 2) Non-IC users. For the IC users' group, a purposive sampling technique was adopted. The first lot induction cooktop sales list supported by EnDev programme was taken as a sample for the survey. For the second group, the study adopted a random sampling technique.

A survey was carried out via phone as well as an in-person visit. The utmost care was taken to maintain data quality, such as discussion on concept paper and questionnaire, enumerator training, mock-up test, cross-check, use of the mobile app and others. We have developed a mobile app ourselves for data collection utilising the open-source platform of KoBo collect. Descriptive statistical analysis and cross-tabulation techniques were used to analyse and interpret data.

The study presents evidence that knowledge is essential for the market development of induction cooktops. The practical source of knowledge that builds a positive attitude and inspires the purchase of an induction cooktop is information from the family/relatives of consumers, followed by media marketing. The most hindering factor for using an induction cooktop is an irregular supply of electricity and the fact that cooking utensils are sometimes unable to fit on it. Therefore, the users may be required to use multiple stoves.

The IC market could be segmented according to the profession of the potential consumer and marketing should focus on the non-agricultural domain. The service sector professionals are highly likely to adopt IC. The use of IC by this segment will have a multiplier effect on the promotion of IC since the evidence shows that the highest number of respondents have adopted IC after familiarising themselves with family/relatives and neighbours.

The non-users want information on price, usability, and electricity bills. Having this knowledge, they would build an attitude to purchase considering the recommendation of family/relatives, quality of electricity and money available through saving or availability of microlending.

The net saving made by the EnDev beneficiary would be vital information for the non-users to catalyse the purchase of an induction cooktop.

From the KAP approach, we have concluded the acceptance of induction cooktops in Karnali/Sudurpaschim province lies in:

• The availability of information about the price, cost-saving and usability of induction cooktops

• The positive attitude expressed by induction cooktop users and their recommendation to their relatives, friends, and neighbourhoods.

• Uninterrupted quality power supply and availability of cooktop friendly cooking utensils in the market.

For more information

For more information, please contact Rabindra Suwal**,**  MEL coordinator  - rsuwal@snv.org