Electric cooking and electric vehicles (EVs) are emerging as quiet yet powerful forces behind rising electricity demand worldwide. They promise cleaner air and lower emissions but are also reshaping how much power is needed, when it’s needed, and how grids must adapt.
Demand is Quietly Surging
Electric cooking appliances and EVs are no longer niche technologies. As households swap charcoal, LPG, and kerosene stoves for induction cookers and pressure cookers, and as motorists shift from petrol engines to electric cars, electricity grids are being asked to carry loads far beyond what they were originally designed for.
Globally, electricity demand is rising at the fastest pace in years. A significant portion of that increase comes not from heavy industries or data centers, but from these two everyday technologies. A single EV can consume as much power in a month as an average household, while widespread adoption of electric cooking could drive double-digit growth in electricity consumption in developing regions within the next decade.
Why Electric Cooking and EVs Matter
Electric Vehicles (EVs)
EVs are transforming transport energy demand. Instead of filling up at fuel stations, millions of drivers now plug into the grid. Charging an EV is not only energy-intensive but also highly time-sensitive. When drivers charge at the same time often evenings after work local transformers and distribution lines can be pushed to their limits.
As EV adoption accelerates, battery demand, electricity consumption, and charging infrastructure will expand rapidly. This poses challenges, but also opportunities, especially if charging can be managed during off-peak hours or linked to renewable energy generation.
Electric Cooking
Electric cooking seems modest compared to EVs, but its impact is equally profound. For decades, cooking in Africa, Asia, and parts of Latin America has been dominated by charcoal, wood, or LPG. Transitioning to electric pressure cookers, hotplates, and induction stoves promises health, climate, and cost benefits. However, the shift is power-hungry.
Cooking appliances draw high instantaneous power, and in many regions, household connections were never sized for such demand. In some African countries, if even 20–30% of households fully adopt electric cooking, distribution grids will need significant reinforcement.
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The Grid’s New Stress Points
Both electric cooking and EVs create similar grid challenges:
- High Energy Loads
- EVs require large amounts of energy to charge batteries.
- Cooking appliances, especially induction hobs and kettles, demand high bursts of power.
- EVs require large amounts of energy to charge batteries.
- Peak Coincidence
- People typically cook meals and charge cars in the evenings at the same time when lighting, cooling, and entertainment demand are already high.
- This coincidence intensifies evening peaks, risking localized blackouts or transformer overloads.
- People typically cook meals and charge cars in the evenings at the same time when lighting, cooling, and entertainment demand are already high.
- Distribution Network Pressure
- Generation capacity may be sufficient, but weak distribution systems transformers, feeders, and last-mile lines are the first to fail under new demand patterns.
The Human Side: Affordability and Access
Electrifying cooking and mobility is about more than technology, it’s about people.
- Cost Per Meal: In many developing regions, households judge fuels by how much a single meal costs. Without affordable tariffs, electric cooking won’t replace charcoal or LPG.
- Upfront Appliance Costs: An electric pressure cooker or induction stove requires a substantial initial investment. Financing schemes like pay-as-you-go or on-bill repayment are critical for adoption.
- Connection Strength: Many households in Africa and Asia have low-capacity connections designed for lighting and phone charging. Without upgrades, cooking with electricity could trip fuses or overload local lines.
Case Study: Kenya at a Crossroads
Kenya offers a striking example. Over the past decade, it has achieved one of the fastest electrification expansions in Africa, connecting millions of households. Yet electric cooking remains rare; most families still rely on LPG, charcoal, or kerosene.
The Kenyan government has launched an electric cooking strategy to change that. The plan emphasizes three pillars: making appliances affordable, upgrading household connections, and reinforcing local distribution grids. Without these steps, widespread adoption of electric cooking would overwhelm weak transformers and local networks.
At the same time, EV adoption is growing in urban centers. Charging hubs are emerging, and fleet operators are testing electric buses and motorcycles. If charging and cooking demands grow together without coordinated planning, evening power peaks could surge beyond safe operating levels.
Policy and Planning Imperatives
1. Invest in Distribution Networks
Building new power plants will not solve the problem if electricity cannot reach homes and charging points. Investment must focus on transformers, feeders, and last-mile reinforcement.
2. Enable Smart Demand Management
Smart meters, time-of-use tariffs, and managed EV charging can flatten peaks. For example, utilities can incentivize cooking during off-peak hours or encourage EV charging overnight.
3. Promote Efficient Appliances
Efficient appliances such as induction stoves and electric pressure cookers—reduce both peak demand and total energy consumption. Appliance financing is essential to make them accessible to low-income households.
4. Integrate Transport and Cooking in Energy Planning
Governments must plan EV rollouts and electric cooking strategies together. When considered in isolation, each looks manageable. When combined, they can overwhelm the system. Integrated energy planning avoids this trap.
Opportunities in the Transition
The rise of electric cooking and EVs is not just a challenge; it’s also an opportunity:
- Cleaner Air & Health Benefits: Replacing smoky stoves cuts indoor air pollution, a leading cause of respiratory disease. EVs eliminate tailpipe emissions, improving urban air quality.
- Climate Gains: Both shifts reduce fossil fuel use, helping countries meet climate goals.
- Renewable Integration: Flexible EV charging and cooking loads can help absorb solar and wind power, balancing variable generation.
- Economic Growth: New industries appliance manufacturing, EV charging services, battery recycling create jobs and innovation
FAQs
- Why are EVs increasing electricity demand so rapidly?
Because EVs require large amounts of energy to charge batteries. A single EV can use as much electricity in a month as a typical household. - How does electric cooking strain the grid?
Cooking appliances draw high bursts of power, often during evening peaks when demand is already high. This can overload transformers and local lines. - Is electric cooking cheaper than LPG or charcoal?
It depends on electricity tariffs and appliance efficiency. In some regions, efficient electric pressure cookers can be cheaper per meal than LPG. - Can grids handle both EV charging and electric cooking?
Yes—but only with planning. Smart charging, distribution upgrades, and efficient appliances are critical. - What are the health benefits of switching to electric cooking?
It eliminates indoor smoke from charcoal and wood, reducing respiratory diseases and improving household air quality. - How can governments support the transition?
Through appliance financing, investment in distribution networks, setting efficiency standards, and integrating transport and cooking into national energy strategies.
