Like many women in Lilongwe,Malawi using a traditional charcoal stove, Lucy Nzerum’mawa’s morning is a race against the clock.  In a country where 97% of households rely on unsustainable biomass fuels for cooking and nearly 68% of urban families depend on charcoal, Lucy’s daily struggle is a reality shared by many women across Malawi.

"Life was very hard before," she recalls. "Charcoal was sometimes difficult to find, and sometimes I could only get damp charcoal that wouldn't light."

Using charcoal as her primary cooking fuel, she was forced to wake up early as the jiko takes a long time to heat up; "I had to wake up so early because it took a long time to light the fire, cook, and prepare the kids for school," she explains.

Charcoal also adds financial pressure on households. Research shows that Malawi's charcoal demand exceeds sustainable supply by nearly three times, increasing deforestation and fuel prices. Many families spend up to 1,471 MWK ($0.85) daily on charcoal.

Lucy recalls spending at least 50,000MWK monthly on charcoal alone. After switching to ATEC induction stove, the benefits were immediate. She was surprised by how fast, efficient, and convenient electric cooking was compared to traditional methods.

Today, she spends approximately 30,000 MWK per month on electricity, which covers not only all her cooking needs but also the rest of her household's electricity consumption.  Studies show that electric cooking costs 548 MWK ($0.32), nearly three times less than charcoal in Malawi; the switch has significantly reduced her household expenses while improving her quality of life.

"This stove has made me very happy," Lucy says happily. "I don't have to wake up terribly early anymore because the new stove is so fast and reliable."

The switch to ATEC’s modern electric stove has broken the cycle of waiting on a slow, frustrating fire. Instead of spending hours tending to the charcoal, Lucy now prepares her morning meals quickly and efficiently, freeing up her mornings entirely. The induction stove also brought a sense of security to her home eliminating the danger of accidental burns caused by open cooking fires. Lucy is at peace knowing that her children are completely safe around the kitchen.

ATEC continues to support families in Malawi to transition to electric cooking. Our IoT-enabled induction cookers use 100% dMRV technology that provides real-time data on stove usage and emissions reductions. This data-driven approach ensures transparency, accountability, and measurable climate impact while helping households reduce fuel costs.