Safari Supa Gas, PayGo Energy partner to provide Kenyan homes with affordable gas 

Kenyans can now pay for cooking gas in small amounts from as little as Ksh.1.

Safari Supa Gas, in partnership with PayGo Energy (‘PayGo’), have officially launched the first pay-as-you-go cooking service to hit customer homes in Kenya.

Once a customer signs up for pay-as-you-go, a Safari Supa Gas agent installs a two-burner cookstove, safety equipment, gas cylinder and the PayGo smart meter in the customer’s home.

Customers then use M-Pesa to purchase gas credit in whatever quantities they choose, with a typical household spending less than KES 50 for three meals per day.

Safari Supa Gas monitors customer consumption, and delivers a new cylinder before the customer ever runs out.

The service is powered by PayGo Energy’s patented Cylinder Smart Meter, the only smart metering device on the market that is compliant with safety requirements under the Kenya Bureau of Standards and European Directives.

Speaking at the launch on Saturday, Flora Njagi, Head of Business Development at Safari Supa Gas, said Kenyan households will now have access to a clean, safe, affordable cooking experience, with a door-to-door service that ensures their gas never runs out.

“We’re excited to be pioneering pay-as-you-go cooking here in Kenya. Through our growing distribution network and PayGo’s revolutionary smart metering technology, Safari Supa Gas can now deliver on its vision of bringing accessible and affordable gas to Kenyan homes,” said Flora Njagi.

PayGo Energy CEO Nick Quintong said: “We’re thrilled to have Safari Supa Gas on board as our distribution partner. From the the beginning we had a shared vision of providing our customers with the best gas service in Kenya. We’re excited to be making that vision a reality.”

He added: “2020 is going to be a huge year for clean cooking, and we plan to keep driving the industry forward and in new directions.”

PayGo first piloted its LPG smart metering technology in Kenya in Kenya in 2016 with a handful of customers in Mukuru kwa Reuben.

“Before pay-as-you-go, it would take me weeks to save for a new one. Now it’s easy for me to cook with gas. I pay as much as I want, even very small amounts. When the gas is about to run out, they deliver a new one to my door,” says Monica Cheptoo, one of PayGo’s very first customers.

Transitioning Kenya to modern, clean, safe and sustainable cooking fuels is a key priority for the government, and aligns closely to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Data shows that LPG consumption in Kenya is starting to grow; driven by lower prices, and digital innovations.