Less than two years after it was established, Enersave Enterprises Limited has grown into one of Uganda’s emerging clean cooking businesses, expanding its reach to more than 50 districts and earning recognition as a hub under the Uganda National Alliance on Clean Cooking (UNACC).
The company’s rapid growth highlights the role of financing, partnerships and rising demand for affordable alternatives to charcoal and firewood in accelerating Uganda’s transition to clean cooking.
Established in 2024 and based in Baggala Zone, Seeta, Mukono District, Enersave supplies a range of clean cooking technologies, including electric pressure cookers (EPCs), solar-powered cooking systems, biogas solutions, improved cookstoves and ethanol technologies.
The company also conducts community sensitisation and training to promote the adoption of clean energy.
Its expansion was boosted by the Results-Based Financing (RBF) programme implemented by GIZ EnDev in partnership with Equity Bank Uganda.
Through the programme, Enersave supplied 301 electric pressure cookers to households in 30 districts, meeting its distribution target and significantly increasing its presence across the country.
Emmanuel Bassa, the company’s director, says the funding provided the working capital needed to expand the business and diversify its products.
“Initially, we only dealt in electric pressure cookers. Through the programme, we diversified our product portfolio to include solar cooking solutions, improved cookstoves, ethanol and ethanol stoves,” Bassa says.
He adds that the new products were well received by communities, helping the company achieve 100 per cent of its EPC distribution target.
The company now operates in more than 50 districts, almost doubling its geographical coverage in a relatively short period.
Beyond boosting sales, the RBF programme also helped Enersave strengthen its internal systems and prepare for future investment.
As part of the requirements for accessing the funding, the company established key governance structures, including gender and human resource policies, and began producing audited financial statements.
Bassa says these changes have improved the company’s credibility and made it more attractive to potential investors.
“We are now investor-ready because of the structures we put in place. We have governance systems, audited books of accounts and institutional policies that make us attractive to future investors,” he says.
The company has also joined the Uganda National Alliance on Clean Cooking, which Bassa says will further support its growth in the sector.
The growing adoption of electric cooking has also been supported by efforts to make electricity more affordable for domestic consumers.
The Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) and Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) introduced a reduced cooking tariff, allowing domestic consumers to access a 70-unit cooking bundle at Shs412 per kilowatt-hour for consumption between the 81st and 150th units.
The lower tariff is expected to encourage more households to move away from charcoal and firewood and adopt electric cooking technologies.
Virginia Semakula, Equity Bank’s Energy, Environment and Climate Change Pillar Head, says the high initial cost of clean energy technologies remains a major barrier for many households and small businesses.
“Many Ugandans want solar systems, clean cookstoves and renewable energy solutions, but the initial costs remain too high for households and small businesses. Equity Bank partners with companies like Enersave to bring these services closer to them,” Semakula says.
For Enersave customers such as Rose Nakayiba, an electric pressure cooker has made cooking cheaper and more convenient.
Nakayiba, a resident of Bugina Zone in Seeta, says she was initially concerned that using an EPC would increase her electricity bill. However, after experiencing the savings, she bought a second cooker.
“I use about one unit of electricity to prepare a meal, which is much cheaper than buying charcoal. Previously, I spent about Shs80,000 every month on charcoal,” she says.
She adds that the cooker has also made it easier to prepare meals while travelling, as long as electricity is available.
Another customer, Specioza Nalule, says switching to electric cooking has allowed her to save money that she previously spent on charcoal.
“As a housewife, I now save the money I used to spend on charcoal. I contribute those savings to a weekly women’s savings group and I plan to invest the money in my poultry business,” Nalule says.
Enersave’s work also extends beyond the sale of clean cooking technologies.
The company has established a community-based organisation that provides young people with vocational skills, including embroidery, while also promoting awareness of clean energy.
It has further participated in clean cooking exhibitions and expos across Uganda, reaching more than 1,000 people through demonstrations and training on clean cooking technologies.
The company says these activities have increased public awareness of clean cooking while also strengthening its brand and supporting business growth.
As Uganda steps up efforts to expand access to modern energy, Enersave plans to increase its presence beyond urban areas.
The company says it intends to expand its portfolio of clean cooking technologies, with a particular focus on solutions that can serve off-grid communities where access to reliable electricity remains limited.
