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In February and March 2026, 60 Decibels’ trained researchers conducted 275 phone interviews with Tubeho Neza cookstove beneficiaries across Rwanda. Respondents were randomly selected from DelAgua’s contact database, with interviews conducted in English and Kinyarwanda averaging 19 minutes each.
60 Decibels has conducted two independent impact assessments of the Tubeho Neza programme: a snapshot in November 2024 (n=180) and now a more comprehensive summary in March 2026 (n=275). Both used random sampling from DelAgua’s beneficiary database. Both reports used the standardised 60dB methodology, though the 2026 round dropped the SMS survey channel and shifted to an Africa-specific cooking benchmark.
Both reports confirm that Tubeho Neza delivers strong, measurable impact. Usage of the improved cookstove is near-universal, with 99% of 2026 respondents reporting reduced use of traditional fuels. Quality of life improvements are stable at around 50%, reporting lives “very much improved.” Health outcomes have strengthened, with 48% reporting very much improved family health, up from 39%, 92% report saving money on energy costs and time savings have increased substantially from 45% to 74%. These outcomes highlight the stove’s effectiveness not only in improving health and finances but also in enhancing daily life, making it a valuable tool for households seeking efficiency and better quality of life
The programme reaches an underserved population: 87% of beneficiaries report no access to a good alternative, up from 69% and 91% report that no other company provides subsidised cookstoves like the ones provided by DelAgua. This highlights DelAgua’s unique position in the market, offering a clean cooking solution that is not easily accessible elsewhere.
Here are the results for the DelAgua Tubeho Neza stove in Rwanda, plus its performance compared to the 60 Decibels Cooking Benchmark in Africa.
Benchmark Overview
60dB Africa Cooking Benchmark
Africa geographical focus
Off-grid cooking sector focus
18 companies included
5,000+ voices listened to
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My living conditions have improved as a result of using this stove because the amount of money I used to spend on buying fuel has been reduced by half. As a result, I am now able to invest that money in other income-generating activities.
Net Promoter Score® (vs 58 benchmark)
Report challenges (vs 21% benchmark)
Reduced use of traditional fuels
No other company offers subsidised stoves like ours
Some of the best things about Tubeho Neza are: First, you can cook on it when doing other household works, secondly, even one single wood can cook the food. Also, the stove does not have much smoke.
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Now, if there is heavy rain, I would be prepared because I can cook inside the house. Before, I used a traditional three-stone stove, and when it rained, it would get wet and cause problems.
These results are a very encouraging reflection of the work our teams and partners have put into the Tubeho Neza programme over many years. To see 95% of beneficiaries reporting improved health, 98% saving time on cooking, and 92% spending less on energy, across nearly 300 independently interviewed households, is exactly the kind of evidence that motivates us to keep pushing forward. An NPS of 68, placing us in the top 40% of the Africa benchmark, tells us that people aren’t just receiving a stove; they are true advocates for what it has done for their lives.
Reports of this kind are among the most effective instruments we have for demonstrating that clean cooking programmes deliver. We will continue to commission this kind of research regularly as this allows us to track our interventions, hold ourselves accountable to the people we serve, and identify any issues before they become entrenched.
David Kitt
Chief Technology Officer
Get in touch with DelAgua’s Chief Technology Officer to discover more about Live Well’s impact in Rwanda, The Gambia and Sierra Leone.
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