China launched the largest ($4.26 billion) energy-efficient appliances subsidy program in June 2012. This paper investigates the impact of this program on consumers by surveying 2630 consumers in 10 cities with different socioeconomic statuses. The results showed that the Chinese consumers were very conscious about electricity savings and that they considered energy-saving an important factor when selecting appliances. Only 13% of consumers claimed that the subsidy was the primary reason for them to purchase energy-efficient appliances. The study found that the subsidy program raising a moderate level of awareness, with 62% of interviewed consumers being aware of the program. However, the consumers were found to lack an in-depth understanding of the program. More budget allocation for marketing and outreach could potentially improve the public awareness of energy-efficient appliances and facilitate market transformation in the long run. Compared with conventional appliances, most Chinese consumers were only willing to pay less than 10% more for energy-efficient appliances. The consumers' expectation for the subsidy size varied between cities, but on average, they would become very likely to purchase energy-efficient appliances when the subsidy size was between 20% and 30%. It was suggested that in the future, only Tier 1 appliances (the most efficient) would be subsidized, and the size of the subsidy should be increased so to meet the consumers' expectations. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.