That's a completely false dichotomy.
Electric prices could sky rocket when generated from fossil sources, and be left alone or get cheaper from neutral sources. Which one is the poor family going to sign up for?
If that doesn't go far enough, simply take the proceeds of the carbon tax or levy and use some of it to assist the poorest -- to insulate, to afford generation until the country has enough sustainable sources, or more generally just to rebalance the impact.
It is perfectly possible to have a developed, sustainable life. Perhaps without monthly flights, or the worst of consumer excess and unrepairable shite, but something we'd all recognise as a modern, comfortable, developed life. Government can help with public transport, regulations of fuel use, bike lanes and all the rest.
It's perfectly possible to educate and reduce birth rates, potentially globally without need of genocide, death squads or even one child policies. We have to do it at some point, or we'll end up with everyone packed in like sardines and nowhere left to grow food. Then there would be a mass die off... Far better to promote it as policy and aim for a sustainable amount, low enough that there's headroom for any unforeseen crises, and to keep a decent amount of wilderness, forest and wildlife that everyone enjoys for a holiday.
Bombing ourselves back to 10,000 years ago is pure hyperbole.