A Sneak Peek into the Electricity Canada Affordability Hub

Over the past several months, Electricity Canada has been working hard to develop a new affordability resource for electricity customers across Canada. Inspired by members and the findings in Electricity Canada’s affordability report, the new webpage houses over 125 resources for Canadians looking to save on their electricity bill. Current Affairs sits down with Averil Gougeon, Policy Analyst at Electricity Canada who has spearheaded this initiative to learn more.

Hi Averil, thank you for joining us! What is Electricity Canada’s Affordability Hub?

The Affordability Hub is what I would describe as a ‘one-stop shop’ that helps Canadians find and access programming in their communities that can help lower their electricity bill. These initiatives range from crisis management to affordable energy access and energy efficiency and conservation.

By bringing programs across Canada into a single, easy to access website, the Affordability Hub makes it easier for households to access resources for customers in financial crisis, energy rebates and demand side management solutions. Customers can explore all the supports available to them, and choose what works best for them.

There are more than 125 programs featured in the Affordability Hub, categorized by province, eligibility criteria, potential cost savings information, application processes and more! Canadians can identify which programs best suit their needs and access the full details through each program's individual website. This work is being done in collaboration with Food Banks Canada, who will help spread word about this resource when it launches.

What led to working on such an ambitious project?

Affordability is a top priority for Canadians and for our member companies. Electricity Canada wanted to better understand this issue in our sector and how we could help our members to educate more customers about the broad range of available supports.

Electricity Canada’s Affordability report dug into what is currently available for customers to help them save on their bills. The report also identified gaps and opportunities for utilities to enhance their current programming.

Two key insights from the report led to the creation of the Affordability Hub. Number one, is the awareness gap. About 50% of customers are not aware of the affordability programs available to them. Secondly, community partnerships are essential for raising awareness of these programs, particularly among vulnerable Canadians. This is also an important thing to note because more than 50% of the programs we examined were designed with vulnerable populations in mind.

In response, we developed this project to help close the awareness gap and enhance affordability programs through community partnerships.

How was the content for the webpage created?

We researched energy affordability programs across Canada and developed a preliminary list of programs. This list was then reviewed by our members who helped identify additional programs and provided further details on their own offerings. Once that list was finalized, content was created for our website. The page is a large map of Canada and when you hover over each province and territory you will see a drop-down list of programs.

Tell us about the partnership with Food Banks Canada.

Food Banks Canada is a crucial partnership to what we are trying to do – reach more people who need support the most. When we first met with Food Banks Canada about our idea, they were surprised at all the programs and support available in our sector, when we told them about our research and our goal they agreed to collaborate. Now we can get the Affordability Hub in the hands of people and families who could benefit most from it. Food Banks Canada works is an association with food banks in in every province, who can connect people in need with our resources.

As part of this partnership, Electricity Canada has developed the Affordability Hub and will meet with Food Banks across the country to increase their understanding of available energy affordability programs in their area. Our goal is for every food bank to receive promotional materials, like posters that features a QR code linking directly to the Affordability Hub.

By equipping these frontline organizations with this information, we're hoping to connect Canadians with the support available to help manage their electricity costs.

How do you think the Affordability Hub will help Canadians with their electricity bills?

By making affordability information more accessible and easier to understand, the Affordability Hub will empower Canadians by giving them the tools they need to explore available options and identify programs that may help lower their energy bills.

My hope is that more Canadians will be able to access the funding, rebates, bill assistance, and all the other energy efficiency programs available, helping to make energy more affordable for them both today and over the long term.

Where can customers access the Affordability Hub? And when does it go live?

There are two ways for people to access the Affordability Hub. The first way scanning a QR code found on a poster at your local food bank. The other way is to access this resource directly through the Electricity Canada website. The project will officially launch September 18th, so please keep an eye out for future social posts and announcements on this project!