{"id":287276,"date":"2023-11-09T13:32:55","date_gmt":"2023-11-09T12:32:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=287276"},"modified":"2023-11-09T13:32:58","modified_gmt":"2023-11-09T12:32:58","slug":"self-imposed-energy-poverty-coming-to-canada","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=287276","title":{"rendered":"Self Imposed Energy Poverty Coming to\u00a0Canada"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A recent Canadian study reports that in 2017,\u00a0between 6 percent and 19 percent\u00a0of Canadian households experienced some form of energy poverty, with an above-average incidence in rural areas, Atlantic Canada and among people living in older single-family homes. For these households, the high cost of energy, which includes electricity, natural gas, heating oil and propane, means they may ration their use, leading them to live in energy poverty.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Science Matters<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By\u00a0Ron Clutz<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Jock Finlayson describes how climate change policies are depleting Canadians\u2019 financial means in his article Millions of Canadians May Face \u2018Energy Poverty\u2019. <\/strong><\/a> Excerpts in italics with my bolds and added images.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The term \u201cenergy poverty\u201d<\/strong> is not yet part of day-to-day political debate in Canada, but that\u2019s likely to change in the next few years. In Europe, the high and rising cost of energy has become a political lightning rod<\/strong> in several countries including Britain and France. Something similar may be in store for Canada.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Trudeau government and some of the provinces are
aggressively pursuing the holy grail of decarbonization.<\/mark><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To achieve this, they\u2019re engineering\u00a0dramatic increases in carbon and other taxes on fossil fuels<\/strong>\u00a0and promising\u00a0to pour vast sums of money<\/strong>\u00a0into<\/strong>\u00a0building new\u00a0electricity<\/strong>\u00a0generation and transmission\u00a0infrastructure<\/strong>\u00a0to help reduce reliance on oil, refined petroleum products, natural gas and coal. Both\u00a0strategies point to higher energy costs.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Tax advocates say it is a small % of GDP. But it is still $10 Billion extracted from Canadian households<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Trudeau government has legislated a national minimum carbon tax set to reach $170 per tonne<\/strong> of emissions by 2030, up from $50 in 2022 and $65 currently.<\/strong> Ottawa has also imposed a \u201cclean fuel standard\u201d<\/strong> that will further raise the cost of fuel. These policies are driven by concerns over climate change<\/strong>, which is a risk, to be sure, but so is<\/strong> the prospect of rapidly escalating energy prices for Canadian households and businesses.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Energy poverty arises when<\/strong>\u00a0households and families must devote\u00a0a significant fraction of<\/strong>\u00a0their after-tax\u00a0income to cover the cost of energy<\/strong>\u00a0used for transportation, home heating and cooking, and the provision of electricity. In 2022, the\u00a0United Kingdom<\/strong>\u00a0government estimated that\u00a013.4 percent of households were in energy poverty<\/strong>, which it defined as needing to spend\u00a0more than 10 percent of income<\/strong>\u00a0to cover the cost of directly consumed energy.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s no single agreed methodology for assessing the prevalence of energy poverty. A recent\u00a0Canadian study<\/strong>\u00a0reports that\u00a0in 2017<\/strong>,\u00a0between 6 percent and 19 percent<\/strong>\u00a0of Canadian households experienced\u00a0some form of energy poverty,<\/strong>\u00a0with an above-average incidence in rural areas, Atlantic Canada and among people living in older single-family homes. If accurate, this finding suggests that\u00a0many more Canadians<\/strong>\u00a0will soon become acquainted with the term\u00a0as taxes on fossil fuels climb<\/strong>\u00a0and<\/strong>\u00a0governments impose\u00a0new regulations<\/strong>\u00a0affecting the energy efficiency of buildings, vehicles, industrial equipment, appliances and agricultural operations.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Canada is blessed with plentiful and diverse supplies of energy.<\/strong>\u00a0Over time, we have become\u00a0an important global producer and exporter<\/strong>\u00a0of energy, with oil, natural gas and electricity together expected to account for one-quarter of Canada\u2019s merchandise exports in 2023.\u00a0Canada is also an intensive consumer of energy<\/strong>, in part because of our cold climate, dispersed population and relatively high living standards.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
80% of the Other Renewables is solid biomass (wood), which leaves at most 1% of Canadian total energy supply coming from wind and solar.<\/strong><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

End-use energy demand in Canada is around 13,000 petajoules.<\/strong> Of this, industry<\/strong> is responsible for about half<\/strong>, followed by transportation, residential buildings, commercial buildings and agriculture. Refined petroleum products<\/strong>\u2014all based on oil\u2014are the largest fuel type<\/strong> consumed in Canada (around 40 percent<\/strong> of the total), followed by natural gas (36 percent) and electricity (16 percent).<\/strong> Biofuels and other smaller sources comprise the rest. These data underscore Canadians\u2019 overwhelming dependence on fossil fuels to meet their energy needs.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Politicians in a hurry to slash greenhouse gas emissions via higher taxes
and more regulations must be alert to the risk that millions of Canadians
could find themselves in energy poverty by the end of the decade.<\/mark><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Jock Finlayson is a Senior Fellow at the Fraser Institute.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A recent Canadian study reports that in 2017,\u00a0between 6 percent and 19 percent\u00a0of Canadian households experienced some form of energy poverty, with an above-average incidence in rural areas, Atlantic Canada and among people living in older single-family homes. For these households, the high cost of energy, which includes electricity, natural gas, heating oil and propane, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":287291,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"A recent Canadian study reports that in 2017,\u00a0between 6 percent and 19 percent\u00a0of Canadian households experienced some form of energy poverty, with an above-average incidence in rural areas, Atlantic Canada and among people living in older single-family h","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691820083,691819173,691819180,691824449,691818583,691818228,691818154],"class_list":["post-287276","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-canada","tag-decarbonization","tag-energy-costs","tag-energy-poverty","tag-europe","tag-fossil-fuels","tag-net-zero","fallback-thumbnail"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/0n-2003-BLACKOUT-ANNIVERSARY-628x314-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C630&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1cJu","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":255719,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=255719","url_meta":{"origin":287276,"position":0},"title":"Australia\u2019s Self-Inflicted Wind & Solar Calamity Demands Permanent Nuclear Power Solution","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"05\/03\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"From STOP THESE THINGS The fastest way to get people thinking about where their power comes from is to deprive them of it. A lengthy evening blackout will do it, every time. Australia\u2019s Eastern Grid (that connects Queensland, New South Wales, the ACT, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia) is a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Australia\u2019s Eastern Grid\"","block_context":{"text":"Australia\u2019s Eastern Grid","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=australias-eastern-grid"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/00image-70-1024x768-1.webp?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/00image-70-1024x768-1.webp?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/00image-70-1024x768-1.webp?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/00image-70-1024x768-1.webp?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":417506,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=417506","url_meta":{"origin":287276,"position":1},"title":"Miliband Wants to Introduce Soviet Style\u00a0Heating","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"12\/17\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Eastern European-style power systems could leave households \u2018stuck\u2019 with unaffordable energy","rel":"","context":"In \"Energy Costs\"","block_context":{"text":"Energy Costs","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=energy-costs"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AQMrSnEpgoW0Qq1B2I9r8uA5k2raOMylwNF7NiFGe5ncSHy8Gu3wlChTeUA7m65HJ5okUt7qgNnTotKptwV41qowfZGdiBHn4YZcVl2TLnvJfaLQ3MFoTGGG7l1CAcw4.jpeg?fit=1106%2C551&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AQMrSnEpgoW0Qq1B2I9r8uA5k2raOMylwNF7NiFGe5ncSHy8Gu3wlChTeUA7m65HJ5okUt7qgNnTotKptwV41qowfZGdiBHn4YZcVl2TLnvJfaLQ3MFoTGGG7l1CAcw4.jpeg?fit=1106%2C551&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AQMrSnEpgoW0Qq1B2I9r8uA5k2raOMylwNF7NiFGe5ncSHy8Gu3wlChTeUA7m65HJ5okUt7qgNnTotKptwV41qowfZGdiBHn4YZcVl2TLnvJfaLQ3MFoTGGG7l1CAcw4.jpeg?fit=1106%2C551&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AQMrSnEpgoW0Qq1B2I9r8uA5k2raOMylwNF7NiFGe5ncSHy8Gu3wlChTeUA7m65HJ5okUt7qgNnTotKptwV41qowfZGdiBHn4YZcVl2TLnvJfaLQ3MFoTGGG7l1CAcw4.jpeg?fit=1106%2C551&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AQMrSnEpgoW0Qq1B2I9r8uA5k2raOMylwNF7NiFGe5ncSHy8Gu3wlChTeUA7m65HJ5okUt7qgNnTotKptwV41qowfZGdiBHn4YZcVl2TLnvJfaLQ3MFoTGGG7l1CAcw4.jpeg?fit=1106%2C551&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":347067,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=347067","url_meta":{"origin":287276,"position":2},"title":"Western Households Sacrificed While Asians Benefit From Coal Splurge","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"10\/16\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"In a move opposite the direction of the global climate change agenda, India\u2019s newly elected government has announced contracts for an additional 12,800 megawatts (MW) of thermal power capacity (coal and natural gas).","rel":"","context":"In \"coal and natural gas\"","block_context":{"text":"coal and natural gas","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=coal-and-natural-gas"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/0india-considering-strategic-reserves-for-gas-imported-coal.webp?fit=1200%2C765&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/0india-considering-strategic-reserves-for-gas-imported-coal.webp?fit=1200%2C765&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/0india-considering-strategic-reserves-for-gas-imported-coal.webp?fit=1200%2C765&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/0india-considering-strategic-reserves-for-gas-imported-coal.webp?fit=1200%2C765&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/0india-considering-strategic-reserves-for-gas-imported-coal.webp?fit=1200%2C765&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":414715,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=414715","url_meta":{"origin":287276,"position":3},"title":"Gavin Newsom\u2019s war on the poor goes global at COP30","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"11\/26\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently traveled to Brazil to speak at the latest United Nations climate change conference, where he urged other nations to copy his state\u2019s environmental agenda. We can only hope nobody listens, as California\u2019s green policies have been devastating for the state\u2019s low-income and minority residents.","rel":"","context":"In \"California\u2019s green policies\"","block_context":{"text":"California\u2019s green policies","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=californias-green-policies"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AQMLPEvGcObAQee4XbTNDD94B1fULsphl4Xc__-I2-e6LR1g3SGz8w_UEpS9zkyrhLb6YeJKA14yLIAZnXfKDzVp80kgg44qT8Kpig0E_ojkeyQa8grVpZzfNuZxWTLBn-PSWQPNsPdYOloVEE5AIMNQIL2bcQ-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AQMLPEvGcObAQee4XbTNDD94B1fULsphl4Xc__-I2-e6LR1g3SGz8w_UEpS9zkyrhLb6YeJKA14yLIAZnXfKDzVp80kgg44qT8Kpig0E_ojkeyQa8grVpZzfNuZxWTLBn-PSWQPNsPdYOloVEE5AIMNQIL2bcQ-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AQMLPEvGcObAQee4XbTNDD94B1fULsphl4Xc__-I2-e6LR1g3SGz8w_UEpS9zkyrhLb6YeJKA14yLIAZnXfKDzVp80kgg44qT8Kpig0E_ojkeyQa8grVpZzfNuZxWTLBn-PSWQPNsPdYOloVEE5AIMNQIL2bcQ-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AQMLPEvGcObAQee4XbTNDD94B1fULsphl4Xc__-I2-e6LR1g3SGz8w_UEpS9zkyrhLb6YeJKA14yLIAZnXfKDzVp80kgg44qT8Kpig0E_ojkeyQa8grVpZzfNuZxWTLBn-PSWQPNsPdYOloVEE5AIMNQIL2bcQ-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/AQMLPEvGcObAQee4XbTNDD94B1fULsphl4Xc__-I2-e6LR1g3SGz8w_UEpS9zkyrhLb6YeJKA14yLIAZnXfKDzVp80kgg44qT8Kpig0E_ojkeyQa8grVpZzfNuZxWTLBn-PSWQPNsPdYOloVEE5AIMNQIL2bcQ-1.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":249923,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=249923","url_meta":{"origin":287276,"position":4},"title":"Biden\u2019s Energy Policies Cost U.S. Households More than $2,300 Since 2021","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"03\/27\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Biden\u2019s energy policies have caused energy costs to rise across America, from natural gas to electricity, costing Americans more than $2,300 since entering office in January 2021.\u00a0","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1175.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1175.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1175.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1175.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/image-1175.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":261326,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=261326","url_meta":{"origin":287276,"position":5},"title":"California Governor Newsom\u2019s Actions to Reduce Emissions Conflict with The States\u2019 Legal Framework Statutes","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"06\/08\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"California Governor Gavin Newsom has been vocal about his commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the state. However, some of his recent actions of \u201cleaking\u201d emissions to other countries violate many sections of the written legal framework of The\u00a0California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)\u00a0and\u00a0California Global Warming Solutions Act (AB32).","rel":"","context":"In \"California\"","block_context":{"text":"California","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=california"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/00gettyimages-528280762.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/00gettyimages-528280762.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/00gettyimages-528280762.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/00gettyimages-528280762.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/00gettyimages-528280762.jpg?fit=1200%2C799&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/287276","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=287276"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/287276\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":287292,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/287276\/revisions\/287292"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/287291"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=287276"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=287276"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=287276"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}