KHRC-Led GasPay Study Brings Cleaner Cooking to Over 3,950 Homes in Bono East Region Through a Mobile App

June 02, 2025 | News Feed | Reading time: 4 min

Over 3,950 households in Techiman Municipality of Ghana’s Bono East Region are now cooking with Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) and breathing healthier air, thanks to the innovative GasPay Study led by the Kintampo Health Research Centre (KHRC), in collaboration with Columbia University and the University of California, Santa Barbara.

In Techiman, many families still rely on firewood and charcoal for cooking, contributing to serious health issues, especially for women and children who spend long hours in the kitchen. In fact, household air pollution remains a major public health concern in Ghana today.

Recognizing this, the GasPay study, which is the first of its kind in Ghana, was launched in February 2024. It aims to make LPG affordable and accessible to low-income families through a mobile application called GasPay, that allows users to save small amounts of money through mobile money, order gas, schedule deliveries, and share feedback with suppliers. The app is available on the Google Play Store and USSD code. For families facing difficulties saving enough for gas, the study provides top-up incentives, used purposely for LPG refills.

The GasPay study builds on KHRC’s earlier “Targeting Subsidy for LPG Adoption” study in 2023, which distributed over 1,350 gas cylinders and subsidized LPG refill costs to promote the use of LPG in households. The findings show that when given the opportunity, many families preferred cooking with gas, but the high upfront cost of LPG remained a major barrier—something the GasPay app is now helping to overcome.

The study began with a pilot phase where 50 households received gas at a 97% subsidy. Their feedback helped improve the app before it expanded to over 900 households by December 2024 and will later recruit more than 3,000 by July 2025. KHRC field staff continue to support participants through home visits, and to monitor how the app is helping to reduce the use of charcoal or firewood.

One of the most convenient aspects of the study is the gas exchange system. After paying for LPG through the GasPay app or USSD, participants exchange empty cylinders for filled ones at one of six GasPay depots located within 2 kilometres from their homes. This setup aligns with Ghana’s Cylinder Recirculation Model (CRM), which aims to make LPG access safer, closer, and more reliable.

For people like *Leticia, a mother of three in Kenten, the impact has been life changing. “Before, I used charcoal every day, and the smoke made my eyes and chest hurt. Now, I use gas more often because I can save for it. The house is clean, and cooking is faster. I really like the GasPay app,” she said.

Although the study is still ongoing, the early results are promising. More families are switching to LPG, enjoying smoke-free kitchens, and protecting their health. If the GasPay app continues to perform well, it will be made available to the general public and could help Ghana achieve its goal of providing 50% of households with access to LPG by 2030.

Learn more about the GasPay Study: https://www.kintampo-hrc.org/pages/GasPay-study.html
*Name has been changed for data protection purposes.