XUSHUI, Hebei: 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.

In 2017, Beijing mandated that dozens of northern areas wind down the use of coal-fired stoves in favour of electric and natural gas-powered systems.

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 100km outside Beijing, villagers told AFP they avoided turning on the heating because it drained their incomes.

"Regular folks can't afford it ... Spending 1,000 yuan (US$143) per month on heat - no one can stand that," a resident in his 60s told AFP at a farmers' market.

"Everyone likes that (the air) is clean. There's not one person that doesn't like it," he said, asking not to be named for fear of "trouble".

"But ... the cost of clean (air) is high," he added.

On the clear, sunny day AFP visited, the warmest temperature was just under 6°C, with lows of minus seven.

Restaurant worker Yin Chunlan said that her elderly in-laws need to pay up to 7,000 yuan per year to heat their six-room village home.

Yin, 48, lives in an apartment in town and says her annual bill is a third of that.

"But it's not the same in the village," she told AFP.

"They have to set their heating much higher, and the temperature still isn't as warm, so it wastes gas and wastes money."

Yin's in-laws often pile on extra blankets to stay warm.

"When I see it, it's quite pitiful," said Yin, wiping away a tear. "Nothing can be done."

In one village, a woman in her 70s wore a green padded jacket underneath an apron as she crossed her outdoor courtyard.

Heating in her home is not turned on during the daytime, she said, showing AFP the system's switchboard mounted above her stove displaying "off".

The woman, who did not give her name, said the dial could reach 60°C. When asked if the temperature inside could feel as warm, she laughed.

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