India faces challenges in transitioning household fuel consumption patterns. This study examines cooking fuel choices regarding affordability and accessibility at household levels. Our empirical analysis of data from the NSSO and ACCESS-18 indicates a strong relation between clean fuel adoption and energy to non-food and food expense ratios. We developed a Clean Fuel Empowerment Index (CFEI) to explain fuel access and female empowerment. We found higher CFEI among clean fuel users followed by multiple and dirty fuel users. Further, our empirical results indicate budget allocation, particularly on non-food expenses, plays a significant role in cooking fuel choice. Rural households use unclean fuels despite the higher expenditure, requiring targeted policies like subsidies, integration of agricultural and energy policies and awareness campaigns. Gender-related inequalities in fuel accessibility can be addressed by empowering women through female-oriented policies, gender-sensitive approaches, easy financial access, and access to education.