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Most of the existing research on developed countries insists that urban sprawl contributes to increasing energy consumption due to the expanding private-car-oriented transportation requirements of urban residents. However, in the context of China, we discover that public transportation has thrived and become one of the major travel modes for the residents, accompanied by government-led urban sprawl. Consequently, the impact of urban sprawl on transportation energy consumption in China may be highly distinct from that in Western developed countries. Therefore, we empirically investigate the impact of urban sprawl on household transportation energy consumption in China based on the Chinese Household Energy Consumption Survey and attempt to provide an appropriate explanation for this relationship. We find that urban sprawl does not lead to an increase in household transportation energy consumption in China, which is mainly due to the rapid development of a high-quality public transportation system. Specifically, urban sprawl alleviates household transportation energy consumption in China by promoting the use of public transportation among residents. Our findings contrast with previous studies on European and American cities and provide distinctive evidence of the causal relationship between urban sprawl and energy consumption. This study highlights a pathway through which developing countries can achieve sustainable urban development goals through the construction of a high-quality public transportation system. • Features of urban sprawl and public transit differ between China and developed countries. • We examine the impact of urban sprawl on household transportation energy consumption in China. • Urban sprawl does not lead to an increase in household transportation energy consumption in China. • Public transportation system development and public service accessibility reduce household transportation energy consumption. • Urban sprawl promotes usage of public transportation in China and then reduces household transportation energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]