An anonymised case from our commercial customers — a mid-size Nairobi restaurant that switched from ad-hoc cylinder buying to scheduled bulk LPG.
The Before: Ad-Hoc Domestic Buying
The kitchen ran on 13kg cylinders — bought 3–4 at a time, swapped 2–3 times a week. The problems were predictable:
- Mid-service empties — cylinders died during lunch rush; staff sprinted for exchanges.
- Retail pricing — 13kg refills at domestic prices are the most expensive way to buy gas at volume.
- No schedule — whoever noticed first shouted; ordering happened in panic mode.
- Admin overhead — dozens of small purchases monthly, no consolidated invoicing.
The After: Twin-50kg Scheduled Supply
The setup that replaced it:
- Two 50kg cylinders on a changeover valve in a ventilated outdoor cage.
- Piped to the kitchen — one clean line, no loose cylinders inside.
- Weekly scheduled delivery — we swap on a fixed day; the kitchen never calls us.
- Priority emergency line — for the rare mid-service drain.
The Numbers
| Before | After | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly gas spend | ~KSh 38,000 | ~KSh 25,000 |
| Cost per kg | ~KSh 230 | ~KSh 165 |
| Mid-service interruptions | Weekly | Zero |
| Admin time | Hours of small purchases | One invoice monthly |
~35% cost reduction — from cheaper per-kg pricing and eliminated emergency-run premiums.
The Non-Financial Wins
- Kitchen never stops — changeover valve switches automatically; no manual swap mid-service.
- Safer setup — cylinders outside in a ventilated cage, not indoors beside flames.
- Cleaner accounting — one monthly invoice, reconciliation in minutes.
- Predictable supply — the schedule removes the human memory from the equation.
Who This Works For
Any kitchen burning more than one 13kg cylinder a week: restaurants, hotels, catering kitchens, bakeries, school/hospital kitchens. Below that volume, domestic refills make more sense.
Getting Set Up
- Assess your weekly burn rate — we help estimate it.
- Install the twin-50kg + piping (qualified technician).
- Set the delivery schedule — weekly for most kitchens.
- Forget gas ordering — it just arrives.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if our volume changes month to month?
The schedule flexes — bump deliveries up or down as your season changes.
Is the switch expensive?
The main cost is installation (cage + piping) — recovered in months through the per-kg savings.
Can we keep our existing cookers?
Yes — commercial setups use standard low-pressure or high-pressure lines depending on your equipment.
Ready to switch? Get a commercial supply quote — we size it to your kitchen's burn rate. Contact us →