The potential of savings in the biomass consumed for energy in seven Asian countries-China, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam-is estimated, if the centuries-old traditional methods of biomass use are reconsidered and an efficient, rational use is implemented. The present pattern and share of biomass consumption of different traditional biomass energy devices are recorded. The efficiency of traditional technologies and that of improved ones-technologies which are practically applicable or already in use somewhere else-are compared and the potential of biomass savings is calculated. The total biomass saving potential in all seven countries together has been estimated at 322 million tons/year