Evaluation of hotboxes in rural and peri‐urban areas∗

This paper was prepared as a result of work sponsored by the National Energy Council (NEC).

A hotbox, or wonderbox as it is commonly known, is a simple time, energy and money saving device for cooking. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of wonderboxes on cooking patterns and household energy consumption in rural and peri— urban areas, and to make recommendations about the design of wonderboxes and about dissemination strategies. The research consisted mainly of questionnaires and interviews. In addition, practical experience was obtained in establishing a small wonderbox‐making enterprise.

The fuel most commonly used in conjunction with a wonderbox is paraffin, and in some cases possession of a wonderbox facilitated the transition from firewood to paraffin. There is little doubt that wonderboxes reduce energy consumption, but data on energy savings are inconsistent. It appears, however, that a wonderbox will recover its cost (usually about R12 in 1987) in less than six months.

While users of wonderboxes are appreciative of their fuel‐saving capabilities, the primary motivation in buying a wonderbox is usually convenience, time‐saving and the ability to leave food cooking while away at work. In fact, there were three times as many women in paid employment in the sample of wonderbox users, compared to non‐users.

Wonderboxes are apparently not perceived as being an inferior technology, which is often a problem with appropriate technology. They are rather seen in the context of advancement the transition from subsistence to wage employment, from noncommercial to commercial fuels, from drudgery to time‐saving. In promoting wonderboxes, this perception should be given as much or more emphasis than energy‐saving, and the drab appearance of the box should be changed.

While possession of a wonderbox has sometimes introduced changes in the pattern of food preparation and fuel use, it does not impose an inflexible and unfamiliar domestic regime on the household, which might have made wonderboxes unacceptable.

Many people are unaware of wonderboxes and their advantages, and this lack of knowledge is a constraint on dissemination. However, it is suggested in this report that the most serious constraint is that wonderboxes are unavailable except through a few, mainly non‐commercial, outlets. Two possible solutions to the problem of distribution should be investigated. The first is to make use of existing wholesale and retail networks. The second is the establishment of several small scattered wonderbox‐making enterprises in rural and peri‐urban areas, assisted by a central service organisation.

Notes

Institute of Natural Resources, University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg.

This paper was prepared as a result of work sponsored by the National Energy Council (NEC).