１９００年代以前、市部のエネルギー消費は郡部のおよそ４０％程度に過ぎなかった。理由としては輸送機関が未整備のため農山村からの薪炭供給能力に制約があったことや、都市住宅は狭く小型暖房器具や小型の竃及び七輪が主要な利用機器だったことが挙げられる。日露戦争後の１９００年代後半になると交通網も発達し、電力利用の増加や所得水準の向上も相まって市部におけるエネルギー消費は顕著な増加傾向に転じる。しかし１９２０年代後半からの不況と電力網拡大の沈静化などにより消費量はその後若干減少した。
Before 1900's, the energy consumption of the urban area was about 40% of that of the county area. The poor transportation system limited the wood and coal supply from the surrounded rural areas. In the cities, the houses were so small that be the main heating devices there were the small kamado and sichirin, or the compact stoves using wood and coals. In the late 1900's, after Japan- Russia War, the transportation system developed along with the increase of the use of electricity and the raising income , which pushed he energy consumption in the urban areas. However, it dropped slightly because of the recession in the late 1920's and decline of the electricity network.
