Cooking gas vs kerosene — the switching math for a 4-person household in 2026

Roughly 35% of Nigerian households still cook primarily on kerosene, charcoal, or firewood — despite cooking gas (LPG) being cheaper per useful meal at every price level we've tracked since 2022. The blocker is the upfront kit cost: a 12.5kg cylinder + burner + regulator + hose runs ₦52,000-₦68,000 today. Here's how fast that pays back at May 2026 fuel prices.

Gas baseline. A 12.5kg LPG refill is currently ₦15,500-₦17,500 across Lagos, Abuja, PH (see /gas for state-level pricing). A typical 4-person household cooking three meals/day burns through a 12.5kg refill in 32-38 days. Call it ₦16,500 for 35 days, so ₦472/day in cooking fuel.

Kerosene comparison. DPK (Dual Purpose Kerosene) pump price is roughly ₦1,580/L in May 2026 (it has tracked petrol upward since deregulation). A 4-person household on a single-burner kerosene stove burns 0.7-0.9 L/day for the same meal load. At ₦1,580/L × 0.8 L, that's ₦1,264/day — 2.7× the gas cost.

Payback on switching. The upfront kit (₦60K average) is recouped in roughly ₦60,000 ÷ (₦1,264 − ₦472) per day = 76 days, or under 11 weeks. After that, the gas household saves about ₦24,000/month, every month. Over a year that's ₦288,000 — meaningful in any Nigerian household budget.

Charcoal and firewood. These look free if you forage, but priced honestly: a bag of charcoal in Lagos is ₦4,500-₦5,500 and lasts a 4-person household 12-15 days, working out to ₦330/day. Cheaper than gas headline, but charcoal cooking takes 2-3× longer per meal and emits PM2.5 at WHO-hazardous levels indoors. The health externality alone justifies the gas switch.

The CBN inflation lens. Cooking gas has risen ~38% over the last 24 months; kerosene has risen ~62% over the same window. The gap is widening, not closing — meaning the case for switching gets stronger every quarter, not weaker. Track both on our /inflation page (DPK and LPG are both in the basket). And if you're sizing up a complete fuel-and-power household rebuild, the /cost-of-living calculator gives you a defensible monthly energy budget.

One operational warning. Buy the cylinder + accessories from a recognised vendor (Techno Oil, NLNG-branded outlets, Asiko Energy) and insist on a 5-year DOT-stamped cylinder. The cheaper ₦35-40K kits circulating on roadside markets often use refurbished cylinders past safe re-inspection date — a known cause of the kitchen fires that show up in Lagos State Fire Service reports every quarter. Spending an extra ₦15-20K on certified equipment is the cheapest insurance you'll ever buy.