[Swordmaker]

It’s not clear the average Chinese household can afford home electric heat. Per capita income is around $8K. That’s about $700 a month. Median salaries are likely far lower, perhaps $300-$400, because of the lopsided income distribution there.

Chinese state subsidized electricity is nationally mandated to be just 8¢ per kiloW hour. The residents are further subsidized for electrical use under their socialist housing. In the US, it can be as high as 31¢ per KWh. . . Or as low as 11¢. In addition, some cooking is done with barbecue grills, using charcoal, on balconies. More sulfur dioxide released as people stay home and cook.

[Zhang Fei]

[Chinese state subsidized electricity is nationally mandated to be just 8¢ per kiloW hour. The residents are further subsidized for electrical use under their socialist housing. In the US, it can be as high as 31¢ per KWh. . . Or as low as 11¢. In addition, some cooking is done with barbecue grills, using charcoal, on balconies. More sulfur dioxide released as people stay home and cook. ]

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Everybody cooks. Whether they buy food or cook it themselves, the SO2 output should be similar. But not everyone uses indoor heating. Chinese acquaintances indicate that outdoor wear is pretty similar to indoor wear, and that the ubiquitous 24/7/365 climate control stateside is very rare in China because of affordability issues. People I know have trashed their Chinese wardrobes after heading stateside, because most of their sweaters, et al aren’t really needed here.

And it actually stands to reason. Relative to incomes, housing is very expensive in China. Pork is about $3.50 a lb there. They can’t use motorcycles because they’re banned in most cities, cars are more expensive in absolute terms, gasoline costs more because of onerous gasoline taxes, cars are subject to road taxes and hefty registration fees - bottom line is that there is no excess income left for frivolities like home heating, on incomes that are 1/6 or 1/7 of US levels.