An analysis by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) has found that affordability and formal enrolment remain major barriers to sustained liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) use, with 79 per cent of migrant LPG users lacking a formal connection. At least 80 per cent of rural, urban informal and migrant households surveyed indicated they would shift exclusively to LPG if a 14.2 kilogram (kg) refill cost Rs 400. The study suggests that connection numbers alone will not secure sustained clean cooking adoption.

Three studies released at CEEW's Clean Air Horizons event surveyed more than 2,200 rural households across six states, over 1,100 households in informal settlements and more than 1,000 migrant workers in 10 cities. The Rs 400 threshold is well below the effective subsidised Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) cylinder price of Rs 642, while median willingness to pay across the groups was Rs 500. The findings indicate the next phase of clean cooking policy must move beyond connections to regular usage, affordability and reliable last?mile delivery. A CEEW fellow noted that if families cannot afford refills, migrants lack awareness or cylinders do not reliably reach rural homes, households will remain exposed to polluting fuels.

The sharpest exclusion was among migrants, who paid Rs 71 per kg, over 20 per cent higher than the Rs 59 per kg paid through formal connections. Housing influenced fuel choice: 70 per cent of migrants living on footpaths or in open spaces relied on solid fuels, against 11 per cent among those in rented accommodation. In rural areas 73 per cent used LPG in the previous 90 days but only 23 per cent used it exclusively, with half still relying on firewood. Only 47 per cent of rural LPG users reported receiving doorstep delivery.

In urban informal settlements documentation and payment barriers persist. CEEW recommended raising PMUY subsidy by around Rs 200 per cylinder to bring the effective price closer to Rs 400, alongside special migrant enrolment drives, pay?as?you?go LPG kiosks and higher distributor incentives for remote rural customers. The analysis called for a shift in policy focus from connections to sustained, affordable access and reliable delivery.