Gas vs Electric Equipment for Load-Shedding Kitchens in South Africa

Load shedding is a fact of running a food business in South Africa. When the power drops mid-service, an all-electric kitchen stops: fryers go cold, the griddle cools, the extraction dies, the till and card machine go dark. The question every operator eventually asks is the same: should I be cooking on gas?

This guide covers what gas can and can't do for you, which electric loads actually matter during a cut, how to think about generator sizing, and the safety and compliance points that come with gas in a commercial kitchen.

What gas can and can't run

Gas is excellent at one thing: producing heat for cooking. If your cookline is the problem, gas is the answer for most of it:

• Gas ranges, griddles and chargrills — the core of most cooklines. These run entirely on gas and don't care about a power cut (apart from any electric ignition, which a match or piezo lighter replaces).
• Gas fryers — common in takeaway and fried-chicken operations; they hold temperature through a cut where an electric fryer would be losing heat.
• Gas ovens and combination ovens — available, though many combi functions still want power for fans, controls and pumps.

What gas does not run: your refrigeration, your lights, your extraction fans, your dishwasher, your till and card terminal, your coffee machine, or any electric-only appliance. A gas cookline plus dead refrigeration and no till is still a closed shop.

So the real question isn't "gas or electric" — it's "which loads must stay alive, and what's the cheapest reliable way to keep each one alive?"

The electric loads that actually matter during a cut

Walk your kitchen and list what genuinely has to stay on. For most food businesses the critical loads are:

1. Refrigeration and freezers — a loaded fridge or freezer holds a safe temperature for a few hours if the door stays shut. The risk isn't a 30-minute blip; it's a long cut with staff opening doors. (See our fridge temperature guide for the safe holding limits and logging rules.)
2. Extraction / canopy fans — gas appliances still produce combustion gases and heat that must be extracted. Running gas with no extraction is both a comfort and a safety problem.
3. Till, card machine and lighting — you can't trade without them, and a dark kitchen is an accident waiting to happen.
4. Gas ignition and controls — some "gas" appliances have electric ignition, fans or safety interlocks that still need a small amount of power.

Notice what's not on the critical list: the big resistive cooking loads (electric fryers, electric griddles, electric ovens). Those draw enormous power and are exactly what gas replaces during a cut. Trying to run an electric cookline off a generator is the expensive way to do it.

Generator sizing: the basic logic

If you go the generator route for the critical electric loads, size it for what you actually need to run, not for the whole kitchen:

• Add up the running watts of the critical loads (each appliance's rating plate or manual lists it).
• Allow for starting surge — anything with a motor or compressor (fridge, freezer, extraction fan) draws several times its running wattage for a second or two at start-up. The generator must cover the largest single surge on top of everything else already running.
• Buy headroom. A generator run continuously at its absolute maximum is working harder and wearing faster than one run comfortably below it.

Because a generator's output and your specific loads vary, treat any online "what size generator" number as a starting point, and have the supplier or an electrician confirm the sizing against your actual appliance list. An undersized generator that trips out mid-service is worse than none.

A quieter middle path many operators use: gas for the cookline, a small generator or battery/inverter setup for the till, lights and refrigeration, rather than one large generator trying to do everything.

Gas safety and compliance — the part you can't skip

Gas in a commercial kitchen is safe when it's installed and maintained properly, and dangerous when it isn't. The non-negotiables:

• Use a qualified, registered gas installer for any commercial gas work. Commercial LPG installations must be done and certified by a competent, registered practitioner — this is a legal requirement, not a courtesy, and your insurer will ask for the certificate after any incident.
• Ventilation and extraction. Burning gas consumes oxygen and produces combustion gases. Your extraction and make-up air must be sized for the gas load, and it has to work during a power cut — which means the extraction fan belongs on the critical-loads list above.
• Gas detection and shut-off. Commercial kitchens should have a gas leak detector and an accessible emergency shut-off valve that staff know how to use.
• Cylinder storage. LPG cylinders are stored upright, secured, ventilated, away from heat sources and ignition, and within the quantity limits that apply to your premises. Larger bulk tanks have their own siting rules.
• Flame failure devices. Commercial gas appliances should shut off the gas if the flame goes out. Don't bypass them.
• Regulatory oversight. Gas work, ventilation and food premises are all regulated. Your municipal environmental health practitioner and the gas installer are the authorities for your specific premises — involve them before you buy equipment, not after.

If you're converting an existing electric kitchen to gas, or adding gas to a new fit-out, treat the installer's design and the certification as part of the project cost, not an optional extra.

Frequently asked questions

Will a gas fryer work in a power cut?

Mostly yes — the burner runs on gas. But many gas fryers have electric ignition, thermostatic controls or safety interlocks that need a small amount of power. Check the specific model: some work fully without power, others need a battery or a small inverter for the controls. Never light a fryer manually unless the manufacturer explicitly says it's designed for it.

Can I run my whole kitchen off a generator?

Technically possible, rarely sensible. Resistive cooking loads (electric fryers, griddles, ovens) draw so much power that the generator to run them is large, thirsty and expensive. The cost-effective pattern is gas for cooking plus a modest generator or battery/inverter for refrigeration, lights, till and extraction.

Is gas cheaper to run than electric?

Running cost depends on current LPG and electricity tariffs and on the efficiency of the specific appliances, and both move over time — so there's no honest fixed answer. The stronger argument for gas in South Africa right now is resilience: it keeps the cookline producing through load shedding. Cost it out for your own tariffs and menu before deciding on price alone.

Does my extraction still need to work if I switch to gas?

Yes — more than ever. Gas combustion adds heat, moisture and combustion gases to the kitchen air on top of the cooking vapours. The extraction system must run whenever the gas is on, including during a power cut, so it belongs on your critical-loads list.

Do I need permission or certification to add gas equipment?

Yes. Commercial gas installation must be carried out and certified by a registered gas practitioner, and the installation, ventilation and storage must meet the applicable rules. Your local authority and insurer both care. Get the installer involved at the planning stage.