Climate policy in Canada is in turmoil after the federal government exempted heating oil from the carbon tax. The move will significantly benefit Atlantic Canada, which leads other provincial Premiers to ask why those who heat with electricity or natural gas are left out. Prime Minister Trudeau has stated that there will be no more tax exemptions.Yet, Canadians who heat with electricity and natural gas are being left out in another way. The other component of the carbon tax exemption announcement was a promising and significant commitment to deliver heat pumps to low-to-moderate income Canadians. But this support for those with the lowest incomes is restricted to oil heated homes.The federal announcement included an admission that existing energy efficiency programs don't work for those with low-income. To access zero-interest loans and grants homeowners pay up-front and receive the grant and full loan amount later, which means participants need cash on hand. Low-to-moderate income Canadians cannot pay up-front costs, take on new debt, and already have unaffordable bills.The heat pump program announced for Atlantic Canada removes costs if you heat with oil. Yet most Canadians heat with natural gas or electricity, and low-income homeowners and renters struggle to pay those bills too.The restriction to one fuel type is unfair. Universal access to services that make energy efficiency upgrades easy and affordable is essential for Canadians to transition to net-zero emissions. Energy efficiency programs might target outreach to oil heated homes because they are more expensive and polluting, but there is no reason to exclude all other low-income Canadians.A national program should couple heat pumps with building envelope improvements because those heating with natural gas often need insulation and air sealing to guarantee immediate bill reductions. Better insulated buildings deliver health and comfort benefits and make right-sized heat pumps work better. These are basic building science principles that should not be neglected in low-income homes.The existing programs for middle and upper income Canadians can also be made simpler, more effective and affordable. For example, virtual energy audits can speed up simple upgrades, and an “efficiency as a service” model would replace all up-front costs with regular payments and make those doing the retrofits responsible for energy saving performance.As the federal government looks to get out of this political mess, it can react in a way that lets all Canadians afford energy by reducing emissions. By expanding and improving energy efficiency programs all government MPs would be able to follow the lead of their Atlantic colleagues by presenting tangible support for heat pumps and insulation, which is easier to explain than a confusing carbon tax/rebate scheme.Canadians want to take action on climate, but they also want political leaders to understand their need for economic security and fairness. Today, lots of Canadians most negatively impacted by high energy costs are still left out. To get its climate policy back on track, the federal government should make energy efficiency available to all Canadians.Brendan Haley is Director of Policy Research for Efficiency Canada, an energy efficiency advocacy and research organization and an adjunct research professor in Public Policy at Carleton University.