Energy poverty is like an invisible shackle, restraining the quality of life and development potential of households. The gender division of labor, where men work outside and women stay at home, further deeply binds women to outdated energy practices. However, with changes in the economic and social environment, the traditional gender division of labor is quietly shifting. The “Monitoring and Survey Report on Migrant Workers in 2023” shows that the number of women working locally has reached 52 million, accounting for 43% of the total local workforce. As more rural women enter factories, shops, or service industries, they are not only reshaping their own economic status, but may also profoundly influence their households’ energy choices.

This paper, based on the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) data from 2016 to 2020, constructs measurement indicators from three dimensions—clean energy use, energy efficiency, and self-limiting energy consumption—to systematically assess the spatiotemporal evolution patterns of energy poverty in Chinese households, as well as the characteristics of energy poverty under income and time deficits. On this basis, this paper focuses on exploring the impact of rural women’s non-agricultural employment on household energy poverty. The study finds that rural women’s participation in non-agricultural employment indeed contributes to alleviating household energy poverty, with more pronounced long-term effects. The driving forces behind this improvement come from three aspects: In addition to the direct income increase from employment, non-agricultural employment reduces women’s time spent on housework and enhances their decision-making power within the household, thereby affecting the family’s energy consumption patterns.

Overall, this paper demonstrates that women are not only bearers of energy poverty but also agents of change. When the government and the society provide more employment opportunities for rural women, they are, in fact, offering an entire family a key to a modernized life. This holds significant practical implications for advancing the “dual carbon” goals and the comprehensive revitalization of rural areas—empowering women may be the warmest light that illuminates the shadow cast by the rising kitchen smoke.