Environmental activists have warned that the latest increase in liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) prices could drive households back to charcoal and firewood, accelerating forest depletion.
Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera) yesterday raised LPG prices by 19.65 percent, from K3 740 to K4 475 per kilogramme, while maintaining petrol and diesel prices. The adjustment is effective March 4.
The hike comes as government and environmental groups promote LPG as a cleaner alternative to charcoal, a major driver of deforestation.
Centre for Environmental Policy and Advocacy (Cepa) executive director Herbert Mwalukomo described the increase as a setback in efforts to reduce reliance on biomass, particularly in urban and peri-urban areas where many households have begun shifting to gas.
“We need a lasting solution to such pressures. Government may have limits, but something
must be done to cushion consumers,” he said.
However, Mwalukomo urged households already using gas to continue despite the higher cost, arguing that the environmental damage caused by charcoal outweighs the price increase.
In a separate interview, environmental activist Mathews Malata also called for price stabilisation measures, warning that gains in clean energy adoption could be reversed.
“We risk a scenario where people abandon gas and return to illegal charcoal, further exerting pressure on our forests,” he said, stressing the need to balance energy access with environmental protection.
environmental degradation. | Nation
According to the Malawi 2017-2027 National Charcoal Strategy, more than 97 percent of households rely on charcoal and firewood for cooking.
Only two percent use electricity, while less than one percent use other fuels.
In urban areas, about 90 percent of residents depend on biomass, with charcoal accounting for 54 percent of usage.
The strategy warns that most charcoal is produced illegally and unsustainably, and that growing urbanisation could push demand beyond supply by 2030.
Ministry of Energy and Mining spokesperson Joan Thaundi Nyirenda said the ministry is engaging the Ministry of Finance to remove some taxes on gas appliances and LPG as an incentive to promote uptake.
“These discussions started before the latest price adjustment and are at an advanced stage. Stakeholders will be informed of the outcome,” she said, adding that Mera uses an Automatic Pricing Mechanism (APM) that allows for downward adjustments when global prices fall.
In a statement, Mera said its Energy Pricing Committee met on February 25, 2026 and noted that since the last LPG adjustment in October 2024, increases in Free-On- Board prices, freight, insurance, handling, financing costs and in-transit losses have pushed landed costs up by 22.65 percent.
The regulator said the current retail price was no longer cost-reflective, forcing some importers to scale down imports.
Under the APM, LPG qualified for revision after exceeding the ±5 percent trigger band, prompting the 19.65 percent increase to sustain supply.
