(Montreal) Energy poverty affects nearly one in five households, according to a team from the Canada Research Chair in Housing, Community and Health at McGill University, which has been studying the phenomenon for four years now.
Posted at 2:33 p.m.
Laurie Trottier The Canadian Press
Energy poverty is understood as the difficulty of accessing energy services at home or having the means to benefit from them, maintaining comfortable temperatures in the home and living with dignity, explains Mylène Riva, research chair holder and associate professor in the department in Geography from McGill University.
In her opinion, this energy poverty has different faces.
We see energy poverty, for example, in households that have to decide what to use their monthly budget for, either paying their electricity bills or putting food on the table.
Mylène Riva, research leader and associate professor in the Department of Geography at McGill University
“Energy poverty is not only a bill that households receive that is high in relation to their ability to pay, but also inadequate housing conditions,” adds the professor, citing as examples poorly insulated houses, those with mold problems or houses that are more humid and difficult to heat.
Status of the situation in Canada
One of the research team's most recent studies, published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health in 2023, sought to examine the relationship between energy poverty in Canadian households and health using data from the 2018 Canadian Housing Survey.
“We observed statistically significant associations between living in an energy insecure household and reporting poorer general health and poor mental health,” concludes Ms. Riva.
Another of their studies, published in 2021 by Energy Research and Social Science, shows that 19% of Canadian households experience energy poverty, three percentage points more than in Quebec. The situation remains particularly worrying in the Maritimes, where one in three households would be affected.
To this end, findings from the Canada Research Chair in Housing suggest that energy poverty affects rural areas more severely. Several factors contribute to this inequality, such as the socioeconomic status of households, but also the composition of housing. “What we see in rural areas are houses that are larger. […] and employment opportunities that are different,” says Ms. Riva.
An unfair energy transition?
While the issue of energy poverty has long remained in the shadows of public policy, researchers say the issue is resurfacing as Canada seeks to lead the energy transition.
However, provincial and federal programs are far from equitable and primarily target wealthier people. “The majority of programs that currently exist are aimed at homeowner households, and often homeowner households, who are able to borrow to make energy efficient renovations or who are able to pay for the renovations and later receive a refund through the programs,” says Ms. Riva.
She mentions that this energy transition comes at a time when Canadian households are experiencing an “affordability crisis.” In her opinion, programs must take into account the dimension of equity to ensure that the transition can be for everyone.
“The fight against energy poverty is essential for a fair energy transition and for climate resilience,” says the study published in 2023.
A series of tests lies ahead
Mylène Riva acknowledges that there is still a lot of work to be done to paint an accurate picture of energy poverty in Canada.
First, his team is continuing its work with Bridgewater in Nova Scotia to assess the impact of one of its projects aimed at reducing energy costs and developing affordable solutions. In 2022, the team conducted a survey of around 500 Bridgewater residents and the results were particularly revealing. 38% of respondents were in a situation of energy shortage, 12% reported having trouble sleeping last winter because the accommodation was too cold, and 8% reported being able to see their breath in the accommodation Ms. Riva.
Subsequently, the Canada Research Chair in Housing, Community and Health continues to collect data in Quebec and wants to pay particular attention to the situation of renters.
The researchers are also organizing a conference on the topic during the 91st Congress of the French-Canadian Association for the Advancement of Science (ACFAS) in May. “It is a topic that is becoming increasingly important and interesting,” says Ms. Riva happily.