Archive · 8 Sep 2026
LPG affordability and formal access limit migrant clean-cooking use
India has helped more families get LPG for cooking, but many still cannot use it regularly.
LPG is a cleaner cooking fuel than firewood and other solid fuels.
Many migrant users do not have official connections, which can make refills more expensive.
Fewer than 4% of the migrant users surveyed were enrolled in the government’s Ujjwala scheme.
The study found that at least 80% of the surveyed groups would use only LPG if a refill cost ₹400.
The current subsidised price for some Ujjwala users is about ₹642.
Rural families also face problems getting cylinders delivered to their homes.
Researchers suggested more subsidy support, easier enrolment and better delivery services.
A CEEW survey found 79% of migrant LPG users lacked formal connections, while fewer than 4% were enrolled under PMUY.
At least 80% of surveyed rural, urban informal-settlement and migrant households said they would use LPG exclusively if refills cost ₹400.
The current effective subsidised PMUY price is ₹642, while the median willingness to pay across groups was ₹500.
Rural households reported limited exclusive LPG use and inconsistent doorstep delivery, while migrants often paid more through informal channels.
CEEW recommended larger subsidies, migrant enrolment drives, pay-as-you-go kiosks and stronger incentives for remote-area distributors.
- Who
- The Council on Energy, Environment and Water surveyed rural households, urban informal-settlement households and migrant workers.
- What
- The studies examined LPG access, affordability, formal connections and exclusive clean-cooking use.
- When
- The article does not specify when the surveys were conducted; the findings were presented at CEEW’s Clean Air Horizons event.
- Where
- The surveys covered six states, urban informal settlements and migrant workers across 10 cities in India.
- Why
- The studies sought to identify why households with LPG connections do not consistently use it as their exclusive cooking fuel.
- Survey coverage
- More than 2,200 rural households, over 1,100 informal-settlement households and more than 1,000 migrant workers were surveyed.
- Migrant formal-connection gap
- 79% of migrant LPG users surveyed lacked a formal connection.
- PMUY enrolment
- Fewer than 4% of surveyed migrant LPG users were enrolled under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana.
- Affordability threshold
- At least 80% of respondents said they would use LPG exclusively if a 14.2-kg refill cost ₹400.
- Current effective price
- The effective subsidised PMUY cylinder price was ₹642, compared with a median willingness to pay of ₹500.
- Rural usage
- Although 73% of rural households used LPG in the previous 90 days, only 23% used it exclusively.
- Informal migrant pricing
- Migrants using informal connections paid ₹71 per kg, compared with ₹59 per kg through formal connections.