REPORT
Archetypes of Experiences with Energy Poverty in Canada
Energy poverty is a complex multifaceted phenomenon largely experienced behind closed doors, and each household’s experiences with energy poverty may be unique. No single metric best summarizes how energy poverty shows up in the lives of Canadians.
By clarifying specific examples under each category of underlying conditions, risk factors, and inabilities to respond adequately and impact future harms, we can construct archetypes or ‘user profiles’ that better reflect the heterogeneity of lived experiences with energy poverty.
This report uses qualitative user-profiles and associated evidence from academic and grey literature and Canadian Census data to unpack lived experiences of energy poverty. In doing so, this report explores how energy poverty may exert diverse and disproportionate impacts on different vulnerable Canadian communities.