A recent move to deregulate the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) market is set to hit lower-income families hard. With price caps lifted, the cost of a standard 10-kilogram gas cylinder could soon jump to between 14,000 and 16,000 pesos.
This surge represents a price increase of 10% to 60% in just two months. For regions lacking piped natural gas, the financial impact of preparing daily meals is becoming unsustainable.
A lit stove burner representing cooking energy usage.
According to a report from the School of Science and Technology at the National University of San MartÃn (Unsam), 96.5% of the population relies on natural gas or LPG to cook. Meanwhile, nearly 1.2 million people still depend on firewood or coal.
Low-income households currently spend a significantly larger portion of their budgets on energy. Ironically, the fuels they rely on are the most expensive.
The True Cost of Cooking
A study conducted by researchers Paola Lorenzo and Salvador Gil, published in the trade journal Petrotecnia, highlights the harsh energy disparity. Piped natural gas remains the cheapest option, while off-grid fuels drain household finances.
Grilled chicken dish illustrating cooked meals.
The researchers found that cooking with kerosene costs 300% more annually than doing the exact same cooking with piped gas. It is also 47% more expensive than cooking with bottled LPG.
Firewood, widely used across Latin America, takes a heavy physical and economic toll. The combustion process also releases toxic fumes and smoke, causing severe long-term respiratory issues.
Enter the Thermal Pot
To combat soaring energy costs, the Unsam report points to a highly effective, low-tech solution: thermal pots. Often referred to historically as “hayboxes” or “witches’ pots,” these insulated containers can cut energy consumption by 50% to 80%.
Thermal pots used for cooking without active heat.
The method relies on retained heat. Instead of keeping a burner lit for hours, cooks use active fuel only for the first stage of cooking.
When cooking liquid-based meals like rice, pasta, stews, or soups, the initial boil takes 10 to 30 minutes on a stove. The second stage of simmering, which normally requires 30 minutes to three hours of constant gas flow, is completely eliminated.
An example of an insulated thermal pot.
Once the food reaches a rolling boil, the pot is moved directly into the insulated thermal container. The trapped heat completes the cooking process entirely on its own.
Safety and Maximum Efficiency
Beyond massive fuel savings, thermal pots conserve water by preventing evaporation and help retain the food’s nutritional value.
Because there is no active flame, the process is entirely hands-off. “It is possible to leave the food cooking without having to attend to the process, since, as there is no fire, there is no risk of fire,” the researchers note. Food cannot burn, as the temperature inside the box never increases.
Energy efficiency illustrated for cooking pots.
Anyone can construct these insulated boxes using cheap, locally sourced materials, making them immediately accessible to low-income neighborhoods.
By combining thermal pots with other simple upgrades—like using pots with ridged bottoms and keeping lids tightly secured—efficiency skyrockets. The study confirms this trifecta can improve cooking efficiency by 70% to 90% over standard gas or firewood setups.
These ultra-cheap tools also pair flawlessly with solar cookers. Families living in arid regions can utilize the sun to boil their food at midday, transfer the pot to the insulated box, and have a hot meal ready by nightfall.
