Does digital finance affect energy consumption structure upgrading? Evidence from Chinese rural households

As carbon neutrality debates escalate, household energy use has gained prominence of scholars. However, existing studies overly focus on consumption expenditure while sidelining the impact of digital finance. This research utilized Chinese household microdata to explore the nexus between digital finance and household energy structure. The empirical results confirm its facilitative effect. The mechanisms of action include infrastructure construction, increased household environmental literacy, improved payment environments, and enhanced risk hedging ability. Regional and policy heterogeneities exist, and the energy structure upgrading aligns with the energy stacking theory. The findings thus shed light on digital finance's role in promoting sustainable household energy transitions.