To increase consumer willingness to pay for improved cookstoves, it is crucial to enhance the perceived benefits of these models compared to baseline stoves. Consumer understanding of the superiority of improved cookstoves should focus on key dimensions, such as health, fuel savings, money savings, time savings, and safety. By effectively communicating the advantages of improved cookstoves in these areas, consumers can fully appreciate their value and make informed decisions. Raising awareness and highlighting the benefits will drive behavior change, leading to greater acceptance and adoption of improved cookstoves, ultimately contributing to improved cooking practices and better livelihoods for communities.

The perception of risks related to baseline cookstoves is a significant barrier to the adoption of improved cookstoves. Surveys indicate that a substantial proportion of respondents underestimate the health problems caused by smoke, with some viewing it as more "annoying" than "dangerous." Qualitative data reveals that social norms contribute to prolonged smoke exposure, particularly for children. Additionally, only a minority of respondents believe improved cookstoves are healthier, with safety concerns being more commonly cited than other health risks. The delayed and less direct link between smoke and health effects further complicates the understanding of risks.

To address the barrier of underestimating health risks related to baseline cookstoves, a behavior change technique is to make the health risks of smoking more salient. This can be achieved through awareness campaigns that explicitly link the dangerous smoke produced by baseline cookstoves to health risks. By building on existing beliefs about smoke's dangers and highlighting the direct connection between smoke and baseline cookstoves, these campaigns can increase awareness and understanding among consumers. Furthermore, emphasizing that using improved cookstoves eliminates these health risks will encourage behavior change and drive greater adoption of improved cookstoves for improved health and well-being.

Using cleanliness norms as a promoter of health is a powerful behavior change technique to raise awareness of the health benefits of improved cookstoves. Qualitative evidence shows that consumers highly appreciate reduced ash spillage from improved cookstoves and are willing to pay more for this feature. By designing interventions that emphasize cleanliness as a key benefit and drawing analogies between a cleaner household and a healthier body, awareness can be raised about the positive health impacts of improved cookstoves. Framing improved cookstoves as not only cleaner but also healthier can influence consumer perceptions, drive behavior change, and foster greater adoption of these stoves for improved health and well-being.

Framing Effect- A cognitive bias, in which people react to a particular choice in different ways depending on how it is presented.

The poor understanding of fuel efficiency benefits is a barrier to improved cookstove (ICS) adoption. While lab tests confirm ICS models' fuel efficiency, consumer awareness and belief in these claims are lacking. Only 66 percent of respondents in the household survey agreed that improved cookstoves are more efficient than baseline alternatives, highlighting the need for better comprehension. Fuel savings consistently rank as the top reason for purchasing a new stove.

Using live demonstrations is an effective behavior change technique to increase understanding of the benefits of fuel efficiency and savings in improved cookstoves. Demonstrations can overcome consumer ambiguity, psychological distance, and misunderstandings about ICS products, providing a unique opportunity to address multiple barriers. 80 percent of survey respondents highlighted the importance of public demonstrations in building trust in improved cookstoves. Demonstrators can distribute information cards with image-focused content, showcasing fuel savings, durability, and purchase information, which can boost self-efficacy and consumer confidence.

Using visual representation of benefits is a powerful behavior change technique to make the advantages of improved cookstoves more understandable and relatable. Leveraging local mental models, communication strategies can use diagrams, graphs, and calls to action to concretize the difference between improved and baseline stoves in terms of fuel savings. Visuals can illustrate the amount of fuel used by each type of stove, emphasizing the significant savings achieved with improved cookstoves. For instance, pictures or drawings can show the number of bags of charcoal spent/saved per week for households using each stove type, alongside items that families could afford with the realized savings. This approach enhances consumer comprehension and highlights the tangible benefits of improved cookstoves, driving behavior change towards their adoption and fostering a positive impact on livelihoods and household finances.

The lack of understanding of the long-term economic benefits of improved cookstoves is a significant barrier to their adoption. Consumers often undervalue future savings due to future discounting, especially in risk-averse populations with limited income. Additionally, households that collect their own fuel may have difficulty grasping the monetary benefits of improved cookstoves as they do not incur direct fuel expenses. Emphasizing fuel savings alone may not effectively convince these households of the financial advantages of improved cookstoves.

Behavior change technique: Utilize consumer finance to reframe the price as an ongoing cost, highlighting the long-term savings on charcoal. By presenting the stove price as a monthly installment, households can easily compare ongoing costs with ongoing savings, making improved cookstoves more financially appealing and increasing adoption rates.

Behavior change technique: Use visuals to highlight long-term monetary savings. Promote improved cookstoves by comparing the costs of frequent replacements for ceramic stoves with the one-time investment in a durable improved cookstove. Emphasize the significant financial benefits over time, motivating consumers to adopt improved cookstoves for long-term savings.

Behavior change technique: Shift focus from short-term losses to long-term benefits. Design a campaign that highlights the tangible items a family can afford in a year with the money saved by adopting an improved cookstove. Make these benefits emotionally meaningful, such as something that brings happiness to a child and is typically unaffordable. By downplaying the short-term cost and emphasizing long-term rewards, this approach aims to overcome cognitive dissonance and future discounting, encouraging greater adoption of improved cookstoves.

Poor understanding of the long-term economic benefits of improved cookstoves is constraining demand. Consumers tend to undervalue future savings, leading to a lack of appreciation for the significant cost savings that can be achieved over time with improved cookstoves. This effect is particularly strong in risk-averse populations, such as those in lower-income areas. Additionally, households that pay for fuel may have difficulty mentally allocating funds for the initial high cost of an improved cookstove, as they are accustomed to spending money on cheaper ceramic cookstoves.

Implement consumer finance options to present improved cookstoves as an affordable ongoing cost, highlighting long-term fuel savings. Offer installment plans or financing solutions to make improved cookstoves financially accessible, increasing their appeal to potential buyers. This reframing strategy can overcome initial price barriers and emphasize the long-term economic benefits of adopting improved cookstoves.

Use visual representations to highlight long-term monetary savings of improved cookstoves compared to baseline ceramic stoves. Present consumers with a clear visual comparison of the number of ceramic stoves needed and their associated costs over time versus the cost of a single durable improved cookstove. Emphasize the economic benefits of reduced replacements and increased durability to motivate adoption of improved cookstoves.

Create a frame that shifts focus from short-term costs to long-term benefits. Develop a campaign highlighting the concrete things a family can afford over a year with the savings from using an improved cookstove instead of baseline cookstoves. Emphasize emotional outcomes, such as bringing happiness to children with the saved money. By making long-term benefits more salient and linking them to meaningful outcomes, cognitive dissonance can be reduced, encouraging adoption of improved cookstoves.

Many consumers perceive improved cookstoves as luxury items reserved for the affluent, particularly in urban areas. This misconception, combined with a lack of understanding regarding the long-term cost-saving benefits, hinders the widespread adoption of improved cookstoves. The false belief that these stoves are only for the rich creates income-disproportional demand, limiting access to a technology that can benefit households across all income levels.

Highlight the long-term cost-effectiveness of improved cookstoves, emphasizing their potential for fuel and money savings compared to baseline stoves. Present baseline stoves as the luxury items, given that they end up costing more over time. Utilize emotions like joy, usefulness, and practicality in messaging to evoke a shift from luxury desires to viewing improved cookstoves as necessities. Visual cues can be employed to create associations between baseline cookstoves and wealth, while showcasing average families benefiting from improved cookstoves and their fuel-efficient features. By reframing the perception, improved cookstoves can be positioned as a practical and economic choice for households across income levels.

Consumers' poor understanding of the time-saving benefits of improved cookstoves is hindering their willingness to pay for these efficient cooking solutions. Despite improved cookstoves offering significant time savings in food preparation, a considerable proportion of potential consumers remain unaware of this feature. This lack of awareness contributes to undervaluing the potential benefits of adopting improved cookstoves, impacting their demand and adoption in the market. Increasing consumers' understanding of the time-saving advantages of improved cookstoves is essential to address this barrier and promote their uptake.

Campaigns and communication mediums must provide clear and concrete information about the actual time saved by using improved stoves. Additionally, research should be conducted to identify activities that Ugandans value the most, allowing the emphasis of real opportunity costs in interventions encouraging the switch to improved cookstoves.To further combat confirmation bias, ICS sellers should engage potential customers in discussions, challenging their existing perceptions of improved cookstoves and encouraging reflection on their views and supporting evidence. By creating an environment of open dialogue and evidence-based discussions, consumers may shift their perceptions and recognize the actual efficiencies and benefits of improved cookstoves over baseline alternatives.