Heat or eat? Half of Atlantic Canadians within $200 of not paying bills

Financial vulnerability across Atlantic Canada is intensifying, according to a new report that details the mounting pressures many are facing.

The data is from MNP LTD, a financial firm focusing on debt, and shows that half of the survey respondents are about $200 from not being able to pay their bills each month. This has put in perspective whether households will “heat or eat,” Tina Powell, licensed insolvency trustee with MNP LTD, told The Todd Veinotte Show.

“About half of Atlantic Canadians who were surveyed are in significantly vulnerable situations,” she said. “One-third of those surveyed have already cut everything from their monthly budget that they believe they could possibly cut.”

The details of the survey show that 58 per cent are strategically grocery shopping, like bulk plans, coupons and price matching. Half are avoiding impulse purchases, and nearly 47 per cent have stopped dining out or ordering takeout.

“They’re already having to decide are they going to reduce their utility expenses or their grocery shopping,” Powell said. “It just highlights how vulnerable many households are.”

This comes as the city’s two largest utilities have indicated price hikes should be expected.

In May, Halifax Water applied to the province’s regulatory board to raise rates by 16.2 per cent in the 2025-26 fiscal year and by 17.6 per cent the following year, for a total of 36.6 per cent. It blames inflation and significant operating deficits.

Then in September, Nova Scotia Power announced it has reached a deal with customer representatives that would see power rates across all customer classes go up by an average of 2.1 per cent in 2026 and again in 2027.

Both moves caused widespread backlash from customers and government officials.

The latest consumer index shows that a third of Atlantic Canadians have reduced their utility consumption.

Powell said that people will start to turn to credit options to help supplement their incomes.

“Even households that were in a solid position, if they’re going down that path, there’s going to be less money for the necessities and more money is going to debt repayment,” she said.

The data was compiled by Ipsos on behalf of MNP LTD between September 4 and September 9, 2025. For this survey, a sample of 2,001 Canadians aged 18 years and over was interviewed. 

The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within ±2.5 percentage points.