Biogas is Kenya's other clean-cooking contender — free fuel from cow dung sounds unbeatable. But LPG keeps winning where it counts. Here's the honest comparison.
The Head-to-Head
| LPG | Biogas | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | KSh 3,000–8,500 (set) | KSh 50,000–150,000+ (digester) |
| Running cost | ~KSh 2,500–3,300/month (13kg) | Near-zero (feedstock is waste) |
| Reliability | On-demand, instant | Depends on feedstock + digester health |
| Cooking power | High, instantly adjustable | Lower, slower to adjust |
| Space needed | A cylinder corner | Digester pit + daily dung supply |
| Maintenance | Swap cylinder, replace hose biennially | Daily feeding, slurry management, desludging |
| Who it suits | Urban/peri-urban, any household | Rural farms with 3+ cattle |
When Biogas Wins
- You have livestock — 3+ zero-grazed cows produce enough daily dung for household cooking.
- You have space and labour — digesters need daily feeding and occasional desludging.
- Long horizon — payback runs years, then fuel is genuinely free.
- Bonus: the slurry is excellent fertiliser.
When LPG Wins (Most Households)
- No cattle/no space — most Nairobi homes can't dig a digester.
- Instant control — full flame now, off now; biogas output follows the digester's pace.
- High heat cooking — frying, fast boiling, catering volumes.
- Zero daily chores — a cylinder swap every month beats daily dung management.
- Low entry cost — KSh 3,000 gets you cooking today versus KSh 100k+ for a digester.
The Hybrid Approach
Farms with digesters commonly keep an LPG cylinder as backup — digester underperformance (cold weather, feed shortage, maintenance gaps) shouldn't mean no dinner. The cylinder is the reliability layer.
The Honest Verdict
Biogas is brilliant if you're a dairy farm with labour and capital. For everyone else — urban homes, small farms, businesses — LPG's reliability, power and tiny upfront cost win. They're not enemies; biogas farmers are some of our steadiest backup-cylinder customers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can biogas fully replace LPG?
For a well-fed digester on an established farm — mostly. Most operators still keep LPG backup for the gaps.
Is biogas cooking slower?
Yes — lower pressure and flow mean gentler heat; fine for simmering, frustrating for frying.
Which is cleaner?
Both burn clean at the stove — biogas is circular (waste → fuel), LPG is consistent. Both beat charcoal massively.
Need the reliable option? LPG delivered same-day — no digester, no dung, no waiting. Order gas →