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Tackling energy poverty in BC – webinar

In this webinar, Ecotrust Canada and the Canadian Urban Sustainability Practitioners Network discuss the latest research on energy poverty and their vision for fair and inclusive energy access for all.

Energy poverty is a critical, but often overlooked inequity in Canadian society, impacting over 270,000 households in British Columbia and more than 2.8 million people nation-wide. Energy poverty is broadly defined as a lack of affordable access to the energy services that contribute to quality of life — heating, lighting, hot water, cooking, and communication. As it is intimately tied to comfort and air quality in homes, energy poverty is also a key social determinant of health, particularly as people spend more time at home during the pandemic.

Allison Ashcroft, Managing Director of the CUSP Network, presents findings revealed by the Energy Poverty and Equity Explorer tool, including what groups in BC are the most affected by high home energy cost burdens, and how a justice-based approach to program design can help alleviate energy poverty.

Dylan Heerema, Senior Analyst and Researcher with Ecotrust Canada’s Community Energy team, discusses the policies and programs that are needed to move toward inclusive and secure energy access — including new research on bill assistance and energy efficiency programs, and the steps needed for BC to become a leading jurisdiction on this issue.


Allison Ashcroft, CUSP Network, Energy Poverty presentation slides, Nov.17.2020


Dylan Heerema, Ecotrust Canada, Energy Poverty presentation slides, Nov.17.2020


Research mentioned in the presentation