The impact of policy incentives and value perception on rural residents’ clean heating behavior: Evidence from northern China

Implementing energy transition in rural areas is crucial for China to achieve its low-carbon transition in energy consumption and dual-carbon goals. This study aimed to elucidate policy effects and further analyze the mediating effect of value perception to provide a reference for building a long-term rural energy transition mechanism. We constructed a “policy incentives–value perception–behavior” theoretical analysis framework and used survey data collected from residents of northern China. A logit model was employed to empirically test the effects of advocacy, demonstration, and subsidy policies on residents’ clean heating behavior. We used a mediation effect model to examine the mediating effects of economic, functional, social, and emotional value perceptions. The results showed that all three policies significantly positively impacted residents’ clean heating choices, with subsidy policies exerting the best effect. These findings suggest that implementing policy incentives can influence residents’ behavior by enhancing their value perceptions. However, different types of policies may act through distinct pathways. Compared with previous studies that focused solely on the impact of policy or value perception on clean heating behavior, this study explored their interactive relationship and found that external policy incentives can be transformed into internal driving forces. Therefore, value perception should be considered during policy formulation to build a long-term mechanism for promoting energy transition in rural areas.