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We chose five study sites, from a traditional village, the Laoxiancheng Village, in remote mountainous areas to towns, the Houzhenzi Xiang Township, the Mazhao Town and the Zhouzhi County Town, as well as in a modern city, Xi’an in the Shaanxi Province of China, to study differences in energy consumption between rural and urban households and to assess its conservation implications. This study confirmed the prediction of the ‘ladder of fuel preferences’ theory. Energies used in urban households are more convenient, cleaner, and more efficient than those used in rural areas, where biomass and coal are common fuel. The amount of energy used for entertainment and electric appliances is greater in urban areas, whereas the quantity used for cooking is larger in rural districts. People in Laoxiancheng Village completely depended on fuelwood for cooking and heating. In the Houzhenzi Xiang Township, 16.7 …