Every Indian household is asking the same question right now: is it actually cheaper to cook on induction than on LPG? The answer is not as simple as comparing cylinder prices, because the real cost depends on how much you cook, what you cook, and what you pay per unit of electricity in your city. We did the full calculation so you do not have to.
The Baseline: What a Normal Indian Family Actually Uses
A typical Indian family of four uses one 14.2 kg domestic LPG cylinder every 30 to 45 days depending on cooking habits. For this calculation we use 35 days — roughly 10 to 11 cylinders per year — which is consistent with national average consumption data.
Current domestic LPG cylinder price in Delhi: ₹913. Annual LPG cost at 10.5 cylinders: approximately ₹9,587. Monthly LPG cost: approximately ₹799.
The Induction Calculation: What It Actually Costs to Cook the Same Meals
One full LPG cylinder contains approximately 14.2 kg of LPG with a calorific value that translates to roughly 170 to 180 megajoules of usable cooking energy, accounting for the typical efficiency of a gas burner at around 55 to 60%.
An induction cooktop operates at 85 to 90% efficiency — significantly higher than gas — meaning you need less input energy to deliver the same cooking output. To replace one LPG cylinder’s worth of cooking energy on induction, you need approximately 78 to 85 units of electricity.
At Delhi’s domestic electricity tariff of approximately ₹8 per unit for consumption above 400 units per month, 80 units costs ₹640.
At ₹6 per unit for households in lower consumption slabs, 80 units costs ₹480.
The Meal-by-Meal Breakdown
Here is what specific Indian meals actually cost on each fuel at current prices.
Dal-chawal for four people on LPG takes approximately 25 to 30 minutes of active burner time on medium flame. That consumes roughly 0.08 to 0.10 kg of LPG — about ₹6.45 to ₹8 worth of gas at current Delhi cylinder prices.
The same dal-chawal on a 1800-watt induction cooktop takes approximately 25 to 30 minutes at medium setting — roughly 0.7 to 0.8 units of electricity. At ₹8 per unit that is ₹5.60 to ₹6.40. At ₹6 per unit it is ₹4.20 to ₹4.80.
Roti — 8 to 10 rotis on a tawa — takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes on gas consuming roughly 0.05 kg of LPG worth ₹3.20 to ₹4. On induction the same tawa session uses approximately 0.4 to 0.5 units — ₹3.20 to ₹4 at ₹8 per unit, or ₹2.40 to ₹3 at ₹6 per unit.
Chai — two cups, four times daily — is where induction shows its biggest advantage. A gas flame left on medium while waiting for milk to boil wastes energy on the sides of the vessel and into the air. Induction transfers heat directly into the vessel. Four chai sessions per day on gas use approximately 0.02 to 0.03 kg of LPG worth ₹1.30 to ₹2 daily. On induction the same four sessions use approximately 0.15 to 0.20 units — ₹1.20 to ₹1.60 at ₹8 per unit.
The Monthly Comparison: Side by Side
For a family of four with typical North Indian cooking habits — two main meals, chai four times daily, occasional frying and pressure cooking:
Monthly LPG cost at current ₹913 cylinder price, one cylinder per 35 days: ₹799.
Monthly electricity addition for equivalent cooking on induction at ₹8 per unit: ₹512 to ₹560.
Monthly electricity addition at ₹6 per unit: ₹384 to ₹420.
Monthly saving on induction at ₹8 per unit: approximately ₹240 to ₹290. Monthly saving on induction at ₹6 per unit: approximately ₹380 to ₹415.
Annual saving on induction at ₹8 per unit: approximately ₹2,900 to ₹3,500. Annual saving on induction at ₹6 per unit: approximately ₹4,600 to ₹5,000.
The Payback Calculation: When Does the Cooktop Pay for Itself
A decent induction cooktop — Pigeon Cruise, Bajaj ICX 3, Prestige PIC 20 — costs between ₹1,200 and ₹1,800. At a monthly saving of ₹250 to ₹400, the cooktop pays for itself in 3 to 7 months. After that, every month of cooking on induction is pure saving relative to current LPG prices.
A higher-end model like the Philips HD4928 at ₹1,999 pays for itself in 5 to 8 months under the same calculation.
This calculation uses current LPG prices. If LPG prices rise further — which CLSA and multiple energy analysts consider likely given the ongoing Hormuz disruption — the payback period shortens and the annual saving increases.
What Changes the Calculation
The induction advantage assumes your electricity tariff is below approximately ₹10 per unit. In states where residential electricity is expensive — parts of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu where higher slab tariffs apply — the cost advantage narrows. At ₹10 per unit the monthly cost of induction cooking is approximately equal to current LPG prices. Above ₹10 per unit, gas becomes cheaper per meal assuming cylinder availability.
The calculation also assumes you cook primarily the dishes that suit induction — boiling, simmering, pressure cooking, frying on a flat-base vessel. Induction cannot replace a gas tandoor. It cannot make the same charred edges on a roti that a direct flame produces. For households where these things matter — and for many Indian families they genuinely do — the non-financial cost of switching is real and worth acknowledging.
The calculation does not include the one-time cost of replacing cookware that is not induction-compatible. Budget ₹500 to ₹1,500 for a basic induction-compatible steel vessel set if your existing cookware is aluminium-based, which adds 1 to 3 months to the payback period.
The Bottom Line
At current LPG prices and average Delhi electricity tariffs, cooking on induction saves a family of four approximately ₹250 to ₹400 per month — or ₹3,000 to ₹5,000 per year. The cooktop pays for itself in under six months. Every subsequent month is money saved.
The Iran war has made this calculation more favourable than it has ever been — and if the Hormuz disruption extends through April as most analysts expect, LPG prices are more likely to rise further than to fall back to pre-crisis levels in the near term. The induction cooktop that is sold out on Blinkit today is, by the numbers, one of the better financial decisions an Indian household can make this month.
All calculations based on Delhi domestic LPG price of ₹913 per 14.2 kg cylinder as of March 12, 2026, and Delhi residential electricity tariffs. Electricity costs vary by state and consumption slab. Cooking energy consumption estimates are based on standard appliance efficiency data. Actual savings will vary based on cooking habits and local tariff structures.