Household energy consumption has grown faster than industrial energy consumption for eight consecutive years, slowing the growth of household energy consumption has become imperative for achieving carbon neutrality. To address the limitations of research on the spatial characteristics of energy consumption in urban households, Guangzhou, a city with a prominent socio-spatial configuration, was selected as the research site. The old town, core area, central area and peri-urban areas, which best reflect the evolutionary characteristics and spatial differentiation of households, were assessed, and a comprehensive household energy consumption survey was performed. A large database of community-scale household energy consumption in Guangzhou (N=1097) was created. Based on this database, the spatial heterogeneity of household energy consumption and carbon emissions at the community scale were assessed through exploratory spatial data analysis and the standard deviation ellipse method. We concluded the following: Firstly, the main sources of energy consumption in Guangzhou households were water heating equipment, kitchen equipment and refrigeration equipment, which was related to the climatic conditions and cultural traditions of the city. Secondly, there was significant spatial heterogeneity in the carbon emissions from household domestic energy use in Guangzhou. Thirdly. the economic level, effects of the Lingnan culture and characteristics of residents are the main drivers influencing the spatial characteristics of household energy consumption and carbon emissions in Guangzhou. This paper proposes that policy development should actively promote energy-efficient equipment, such as water heating and cooling equipment, in urban households and take full account of the basic household energy needs (e.g., for cooling and hot water) of residents in old urban and suburban areas while promoting the development of low-carbon buildings. The results of this study are important for accurately identifying the main sources of household energy consumption, differentiating energy consumption mitigation strategies, and optimizing community energy management
