China and Europe have committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2060 and 2050, respectively. In the residential sector, energy-saving technologies and behavioral changes are critical to meeting these targets. This study examines the adoption of technical and behavioral energy-saving measures in Northern China and Western Europe as key pathways toward residential carbon neutrality. Through a survey, we assessed the prevalence of six such measures and explored the reasons for their adoption or non-adoption. The study revealed significant differences in both the adoption rates and underlying motivations for energy-saving measures. Residents of Northern China were more inclined to adopt technical energy-saving solutions but less likely to embrace behavioral measures compared to their Western European counterparts. While socio-demographic factors, building characteristics, environmental attitudes, and personal beliefs contributed to these disparities, econometric analysis indicated their influence was relatively modest. Two key factors driving the observed differences were subsidy policies and split incentives arising from principal-agent dynamics between energy providers and consumers. The findings suggest that while both China and Europe are progressing toward carbon neutrality in the residential sector, their approaches diverge significantly. In Northern China, direct energy-saving subsidies effectively promoted the adoption of technical measures. Conversely, in Western Europe, a market-based energy pricing system incentivized behavioral energy-saving practices.