Impact of socio-economic characteristics on energy consumption behaviors of suburban rural residents: evidence from on-site surveys in the Guanzhong Plain of China

Abstract Traditionally, residents in rural areas of Guanzhong Plain used to burn bulk coal for cooking and space heating, creating serious environmental challenges. With the stable development of rural economy in China, more and more rural residents have begun to adopt clean and green energy consumption mode, starting from suburban rural areas. Therefore, the energy consumption behaviors of residents in suburban rural areas exhibit the dual characteristics of urban and rural energy consumption. This study conducted an on-site survey of energy consumption behaviors of residents and their influencing factors in typical suburban rural areas in the Guanzhong Plain. A total of 554 valid questionnaires were obtained in this investigation, which were used to assess the behaviors and habits of local residents with respect to different energy consumption activities, such as cooking, space cooling/heating, laundry, etc. The results showed that the energy consumption behaviors of residents in investigated suburban rural areas were different from either traditional Chinese rural areas or typical Chinese urban areas, in terms of energy type and usage habits. The two most significant household characteristics affecting energy consumption behavior are income level and family structure.