Across Canada, tenants and homeowners are facing rising energy costs that are either reflected in their bills or their rent. Canadians with the lowest incomes feel this burden the most, and this winter the cost of heating a home could shoot up by 30 per cent in some regions.
But we can help those most impacted by rising energy costs by funding a national low-income energy efficiency program in the next federal budget. You can contact your MP right now by clicking here, or read on to learn about how most low-income Canadians are being left out of federal climate policy.
Energy poverty is the condition where households struggle to pay their energy bills or are unable to meet their basic energy needs such as adequately heating or cooling their homes. Energy poverty is caused by low-incomes, high energy prices and/or inefficient homes. It shows itself in many ways: a senior with a cold home that leads to worsening arthritis and social isolation because of the inability to host visitors; a tenant suffering from sweltering summer heat due to inadequate insulation and air conditioning; a newcomer with language barriers and little knowledge of Canadian home energy management who is unable to navigate complex social support systems; a family with young children and high energy bills stuck in a cycle of debt; a pensioner unable to afford to operate life-saving home medical equipment like oxygen ventilators.
The Government of Canada offers energy efficiency programs and grants. Unfortunately, existing programs fail to remove significant barriers for low-income households such as the burden of upfront costs, and restrictions on fuel type.
Thankfully, in late 2022, the federal government announced an Oil to Heat Pump Affordability Grant which is targeted to low-income Canadians by removing the up-front cost barrier.
But the Oil to Heat Pump program won’t help most low-income Canadians. Only five per cent of all Canadian homes use heating oil. Restricting support to the transition away from oil does not address electricity or natural gas use, which are 90 per cent of the energy costs of the average low-income Canadian household.
The federal government has a goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, which obviously requires the full decarbonization of our country’s building stock. Our climate goals cannot be achieved without addressing the homes owned or rented by low- to moderate-income Canadians. Yet a recent discussion paper, The Canada Green Building Strategy, made no mention of low-income energy efficiency or energy poverty.
The federal government’s climate ambitions are audacious but their current plans neglect low-income Canadians across the country. We can change that. I work with a research and advocacy organization called Efficiency Canada that is calling for the next federal budget to commit at least $2 billion for low-income energy efficiency programs.
With the energy transition largely underway, failing to consider a specific strategy for low-to-moderate income Canadians in any energy efficiency program means many families across the country will be left behind, and will feel the brunt of climate change impacts the most. Support rabble today!
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Low-income constituents in your riding need your Member of Parliament to advocate for a $2 billion investment in low-income energy efficiency in the 2023 federal budget. We have set up an easy process for you to get in contact by clicking here.
