Determinants of household energy choice for domestic chores: Evidence from the Semien Mountains National Park and Adjacent Districts, Northwest Ethiopia

•Energy is a cornerstone and strategic tool to meet basic human needs and to the sustainable development efforts of every nation.•But lack of clean, affordable, and sustainable energy is one of the reasons for lower quality of life and lagging economic growth in many developing countries, including Ethiopia.•Results show that households' energy utilization pattern is skewed towards biomass fuels, particularly fuelwood.•The findings also revealed that local communities prefer multiple fuels for domestic chores for various reasons, including that entire reliance on single energy may be subject to price fluctuations and unreliable supply.•Based on the results, the study concluded that the local community be encouraged to use biomass fuels in a more environmentally friendly way. Besides, switching to a modern energy source will take time, and thus, policy-makers should empower the communities to use fuel-efficient cooking technologies to improve cooking efficiency.