Households of different income groups found e-cooking appliances a handy and purpose serving option and expressed interests to purchase cookstoves if suitable discounts/instalments are offered, the latest survey has observed.
To this effect, the study also recommended a rational target based on the e-cooking appliances be included in the draft National Action Plan for Clean Cooking in Bangladesh 2020-2030.
The study was presented at a virtual workshop titled ‘Households Survey for Cooking Diaries and Experience Using Modern Energy Cooking System’ on Monday.
The workshop was jointly organised by Practical Action and United International University, Dhaka (UIU) in coordination with Household Energy Platform (HEP), Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA), Power Division, Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources.
Practical Action and UIU are currently undertaking action research to assess appliances Availability Mapping, Testing, and Data Collection for Cooking Diaries in Bangladesh.
Practical Action Bangladesh Country office recently conducted the study in five districts (Gazipur, Barguna, Gaibandha, Faridpur, Cox’s Bazar) to assess cooking diaries of the households from different income groups and their cooking experiences with selected Modern Energy Cooking Services (MECS) products.
The duration of the survey was six- week.
Mohammad Alauddin, Chairman (Additional Secretary), Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA), Power Division, Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources was present at the workshop as the chief guest.
Salima Jahan, Member (Joint Secretary), Renewable Energy, Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA) & PD, Household Energy Platform Power Division, MoPEMR was the special guest at the event.
M Rezwan Khan, Professor, United International University, Dhaka, delivered a short presentation about the overview of MECS Project.
Shawkat A Begum, Country Director, Practical Action in Bangladesh gave the address of welcome.
Utpal Bhattacharjee, Senior Energy Expert & Consultant, Practical Action presented on ‘Households Survey for Cooking Diaries and Experience Using Modern Energy Cooking System’.
Uttam Kumar Saha, Strategic Lead, Urban & Energy, Practical Action, gave the feedback from representatives from Private Sector involved in business of modern cooking appliances, stakeholders, and sector actors and gave the closing remark at the event.
Rezwan Khan shared the lab testing report of Modern Cooking Appliances for cooking different foods. Meanwhile, he also delivered a presentation about Solar PV integrated clean cooking for grid connected areas.
Speaking at the function, Ms Salima Jahan emphasised the importance of women in decision- making purpose for ingredients collection and fuel sourcing regarding clean cooking.
Mr Mohammad Alauddin thanked Practical Action for conducting the household survey to understand cooking diaries and experience using modern cooking appliances.
Moreover, his survey data will help for policy making and decision making in the national level energy sector, he added.
In an open session, Ms Kamrun Naher, a household owner from Faridpur who participated in the survey, shared her experiences about MECA.
She raised some support like: price discount, instalment benefit, and after sales service to use meca products in regular life.
