Digital finance development enhances the expenditures for household energy products in rural China

Abstract

While the relationship between traditional financial development and household energy expenditures remains debated, the specific role of its digital counterpart is largely unexplored. This study aims to fill this gap by introducing a systematic theoretical framework that elucidates how digital finance influences household energy consumption in rural China. Hence, the data set with 30 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions during the period between 2011 and 2020 is utilized to clarify the impact of digital finance development on the expenditures for household energy products in this study. The results report that digital finance development enhances significantly the expenditures for traditional energy products and electricity. Further, digital finance development significantly affects the expenditures for household energy products via raising the level of family income. This paper fosters the transition of rural household energy consumption and the sustainable development in rural areas.