Almost a decade after China began curbing coal burning to stop thick winter smog, villagers in northern Hebei province are struggling to afford their heating bills with most gas subsidies now phased out. Beijing mandated that dozens of northern areas wind down the use of coal-fired stoves in 2017 in favour of electric and natural gas-powered systems, reported Agence France-Presse.

China’s central government allocated funds to refit stoves, but subsidies faded after three years and additional aid has drastically declined, local media reported this week.

In Xushui, a district in Hebei roughly 100 kilometres (62 miles) outside Beijing, villagers said they avoided turning on the heating because it drained their incomes.

“Regular folks can’t afford it… Spending 1,000 yuan ($143) per month on heat — no one can stand that,” a resident in his 60s said at a farmers’ market. “Everyone likes that (the air) is clean. There’s not one person that........

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