Key Points:
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Delivery Gap
Just 47 percent of rural LPG users receive doorstep delivery services.
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Fuel Mix
Half of rural households still rely on firewood as their primary fuel source.
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Cost Barrier
Informal connections purchased through local shops cost rural users significantly more.
New Delhi: Just 47 per cent of LPG users in rural households receive doorstep delivery, highlighting refill cost and last‑mile logistics as significant constraints. According to studies by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), 73 per cent of rural households used LPG in the previous 90 days, but only 23 per cent use it exclusively. Half of these households still rely on firewood as their primary fuel.
Rural LPG users face costly refill challenges
The data revealed that informal connections purchased through local shops, roadside dealers, or unauthorised sellers at higher rates fill the void created by limited awareness and weak delivery networks. Migrant workers face severe barriers, with 79 per cent of migrant LPG users lacking a formal connection and under 4 per cent enrolled in the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), despite the 2021 policy provision allowing simplified self‑declarations.
Prarthana Borah, Fellow at CEEW, said, “Clean air is inseparable from how people cook, work and live. These studies show that providing an LPG connection is only the first step. If families cannot afford regular refills, migrants are not aware of formal connections under PMUY, or cylinders do not reliably reach rural homes, households remain exposed to polluting fuels.”
CEEW studies reveal last mile delivery gaps
Borah pointed out that India’s clean air agenda must look beyond access to whether clean cooking is affordable, reliable and used sustainably. Affordability forms a common challenge across all surveyed categories. At a price of Rs 400 per 14.2 kg cylinder, at least 80 per cent of respondents state they would switch exclusively to LPG.
The median willingness to pay stands at Rs 500, falling well below the current subsidised PMUY rate of Rs 642. In urban informal settlements, 70 per cent report exclusive use, yet 31 per cent of those without formal connections face rejection over missing address proofs, prompting 11 per cent to pay Rs 1,040 informally against the retail cost of Rs 803.
Doorstep delivery reaches only forty seven percent
Among migrants, 70 per cent living in open spaces rely purely on solid fuels, while informal users pay Rs 71 per kg, exceeding formal rates by over 20 per cent. Abhishek Kar, Fellow at CEEW and co‑author of the studies, stated: “Clean cooking policy now has to move from connection numbers to sustained use. For rural households, refill affordability and doorstep delivery matter most; for urban poor households, documentation and payment innovations like micro‑payments are needed; and for migrants, additional subsidy and awareness are the missing links.”
Kar also mentioned that a majority of migrant LPG users buy informally, paying a per‑kg premium of more than 20 per cent over general users who can afford a full formal cylinder. “These lived realities must guide the next phase of clean cooking action.”
Exclusive LPG adoption remains low in villages
To address these deficits, the CEEW studies propose that the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas raise the PMUY subsidy by approximately Rs 200 per cylinder. Recommendations also called for targeted migrant enrolment drives, smart‑meter kiosk pilots, and differentiated distributor commissions to expand rural doorstep access.
Logistics barriers limit full energy transition progress
The studies highlight that India’s clean cooking policy must move beyond connection numbers to sustained use, addressing affordability, reliability, and awareness. The current challenges in LPG adoption and usage underscore the need for a comprehensive approach to ensure a transition to clean cooking fuels.
