In the past 15 years, household energy costs in Canada have risen at a much faster pace than real income, particularly in low-income households. Within-the-home energy poverty rates, as determined by various metrics, have followed suit. Low-income households across Canada consume the least amount of energy per year and per unit heated area. They also tend to live in smaller dwellings which require more energy per unit floor area. Low-income households tend to live in older, rented dwellings which are retrofitted less often than owner-occupied dwellings and are the least exposed to energy-saving technology. Several solutions can assist in reversing the increasing rates of energy poverty in Canada, including reinstating non-profit housing programs, providing on-site renewable energy generation and defining energy as a basic need.