Energy Poverty

Energy poverty refers to individuals who spend a disproportionate amount of their income on home energy costs. One useful definition of energy poverty is households that spend more than double the national average, or 6% of their income, on home energy. Energy poverty can cause ripple effects such as health issues and the impossible decision of “eating or heating”. Some ways to effect change on energy poverty include improving the energy efficiency of dwellings, as well as tackling income poverty. The resources in this section shed light on the complexities of energy poverty in Canada.