Abstract: Based on the eight regions of China and the method of the Theil index, this paper has measured the total regional difference of urban household energy consumption, compared the inter provincial differences and their changing trends of the eight regions and analyzed the contribution of the difference among regions and within regions. To analyze the impact on regional difference caused by the living standard of urban residents and population, this paper has compared the Theil index which takes the urban income and urban population as weights. The results show that the overall difference of Chinese urban household energy consumption is getting smaller from 2000 to now, and the difference is revealed by the Theil index based on the urban income while partly covered by the Theil index based on urban population. China urban life energy consumption difference mainly comes from the regional differences whose contribution rate is always maintained between 60%-70%, and the regional differences are mainly caused by the interprovincial differences in southern, eastern coastal regions and central regions. It is suggested that we should change the way of urbanization and develop a more targeted regional policy to reduce the energy consumption differences and promote coordinated regional development.

Key words: household energy consumption, Theil index, regional difference, contribution degree