Influence of social and economic aspects on end-use energy consumption in Chinese urban households

Abstract

Reducing household energy consumption is essential for China’s implementation of its “dual-carbon” commitment. This study established an accounting framework to analyze urban Household End-use Energy Consumption (HEEC) across 30 Chinese provinces. The framework links five types of household activities to five energy sources through appliance functionality. The Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) method was used to quantify the social and economic factors affecting HEEC. The results show that HEEC increased by approximately 30% from 2010 to 2019, with provincial disparities decreasing. Kitchen/hot water and heating were the primary drivers of this growth, contributing 38.5% and 33.8%, respectively. Meanwhile, energy consumption for cooling and power grew rapidly at annual rates of 5.6% and 4.8%, respectively. Decomposition analysis revealed that income growth and urban expansion were major drivers of HEEC growth. The rise in single-person households, which reduces economies of scale in household activities, has also increased HEEC. However, energy consumption intensity and behavioral habits played key roles in curbing the HEEC growth. These insights underline the significant impact of social and economic development on HEEC and underscore the need for continued appliance upgrades and energy reforms in China.