Energy consumption in the residential sector is one of the main parts of the total consumption in China. In this study, China is divided into seven regions according to the climatic characteristics. Using statistical data, the annual consumption of electricity, coal gas, LPG, natural gas, coal as well as energy for district heating in urban residences in different regions is analyzed. The relationship between the annual energy consumption per household (UEC) and heating degree-days was examined for China, Japan, Canada, and the United States. The conclusions of this study are: (1) the values of UEC for the urban areas of China are between 11 and 24 GJ per household per year in 1997; (2) the consumption of coal has been decreasing and consumption of electricity, gases has been growing since 1990s; (3) the UEC on the secondary energy basis tend to decrease, while that on the primary energy basis keeps on growing; (4) the regression equations for UEC of residences in the USA, Canada, Japan, and China were developed for 1997; and (5) in 1997, the average UEC for the urban areas of China is 17.2 GJ, which is about 39, 16, and 12% as much as that of Japan, the USA, and Canada in 1997, respectively. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.