• Envirofit launches new SmartGas™ program to make LPG affordable and accessible to millions of households.
• Envirofit pilots new LPG smart valve technology enabling families to pay-as-you-cook.

Envirofit International, the world’s leading producer of high-quality clean cookstoves, is launching a new SmartGas™ program to increase access to modern, clean burning LPG fuel in emerging markets. The goal of the SmartGas™ program is to enable households living in energy poverty access to LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) fuel by paying for it on a daily basis. Through Envirofit’s SIM/GPS enabled SmartGas™ Valve, families will be able to use their phones to pre-pay for gas as needed using mobile money. This transaction activates the valve to supply the purchased amount of gas, thus allowing customers to pay-as-you-cook with clean LPG at a price comparable to daily charcoal. Constant monitoring of the data received through the valve by the Envirofit Customer Care team allows Envirofit to schedule the delivery of a new tank before the customer ever runs out, assuring a consistent supply of quality LPG gas.

Using the same rigorous market analysis, product development, and engineering expertise that produced the best-selling biomass stoves in the world, Envirofit has been working over the past two years to develop their SmartGas™program to allow consumers to pay for gas in daily increments. The SmartGas™ program represents the first pay-as-you-cook LPG service that is scalable and aimed at customers in emerging markets. Envirofit hopes to convert consumers who currently cook with charcoal to exclusive LPG use, and in doing so provide access to affordable LPG to 1 million customers over the next five years.

 “Envirofit’s SmartGas™ LPG program will allow us to reach millions of families who aspire to cook with LPG but are unable to because it is perceived as expensive,” said Envirofit CEO Ron Bills. “We expect this program will enable the exclusive use of high quality clean LPG fuel by allowing our customers to make daily cashflow purchases which is hugely important in emerging markets.”

LPG adoption has proved difficult for customers who live in regions lacking modern energy infrastructure. Because of this, most households make small, daily purchases of wood or charcoal for cooking. Though these daily purchases cost less than buying a full LPG tank, they can be more expensive over time than an equivalent amount of LPG. By enabling daily purchases of modern fuel, the SmartGas™ program can make LPG as affordable as charcoal and has the potential to reach millions of households throughout the world.

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About Envirofit

Envirofit International is a social enterprise that innovates smart energy products and services that improve lives on a global scale. Using a market-based approach, Envirofit develops a global product line of smart clean cooking technologies that cook faster while reducing fuel use, smoke, and toxic emissions. Serving more than 5 million people in energy poverty, Envirofit’s smart stoves reduce climate change, create new jobs, and enable families to save money.

For more information visit: www.envirofit.org

Contact
Jessica Alderman, Director of Communications
Jessica.alderman@envirofit.org
1-970-372-2874