The domestic sector is responsible for approximately a third of total energy consumption in Vietnam. However, research on the details of energy consumption in this sector is relatively poor and there is a lack of data on actual energy use in households. This study attempts to fill the gap by providing an analysis of appliance penetration, usage behavior, and actual energy consumption of Vietnamese homes. Data were collected from a survey of 60 households in Tuy Hoa City on the South-Central Coast of Vietnam in 2017. The result shows that the average energy consumption was 4492 kWh per household per year, in which electricity and liquefied petroleum gas accounted for 74.4% and 25.6% respectively. The breakdown of current energy consumption revealed that cooling was the primary consuming end-use with 31.9% of the total, followed by cooking gas with 25.6% and kitchen appliances with 18.5%. Energy consumption for typical households with various ownership levels of air conditioner were also predicted. The results of this study are therefore a valuable reference for policy makers, energy planners and Vietnamese households themselves to understand the existing energy consumption characteristics and identify potential ways to improve energy efficiency in dwellings. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.