Scientists from the University of California San Diego have found that switching from gas to electric stoves can reduce the risk of hospitalizations and greenhouse gas emissions. The research was published in the journal PNAS.
An international research team has studied changes in Ecuador’s health and environment since the start of a program that installed induction cookers in 750,000 households that previously used gas stoves.
In the first six years of the program (2015-2021), greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by 7%. An analysis of 9.6 million hospitalizations in Ecuador revealed that the switch to induction cookers has improved the health of Ecuadorians. The effect was particularly pronounced in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: among these, the risk of hospitalization was reduced by 2.11%.
Researchers also analyzed 130 million household bills per month during this period and calculated that the program resulted in a 5% increase in residential electricity consumption and a 7.5% reduction in LPG consumption.
The program was launched to reduce the consumption of liquefied petroleum gas and replace it with hydropower.
“Our study shows that the co-benefits of such measures may be much greater than previously thought,” the authors wrote.
Gas stoves account for about 10% of greenhouse gas emissions. This, and the potential health hazards of the gas they use, are fueling the growth of home electrification programs. The Netherlands, Australia, Nepal, Indonesia and the US are aiming to gradually convert homes to electric cooking.
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