Low income households in Canada are more vulnerable to energy poverty, which is characterized as a situation where a household faces significant barriers to meeting essential home energy needs such as heating and cooling and or faces challenges paying for their energy costs. Lower income households experiencing energy poverty can benefit the most from energy efficiency upgrades yet are unlikely to install such upgrades without well-designed policy support. Tailored program approaches are required to reach these households.

Key insights:

• All levels of government should consider broader energy poverty reduction strategies such as direct bill assistance, enhancement of tenant rights to adequate and affordable energy services, and enhanced energy security in northern communities.
• Energy efficiency is a fundamental component of any energy poverty strategy that also aims to achieve net-zero emissions.