The amount of both copper and nickel involved is trivial (even assuming worldwide full-blown implementation of E-cat technology), compared to the amounts of each mined today. So I would not expect significant price changes in nickel or copper simply due to the use of nickel as fuel and copper as a byproduct of the E-cat reaction.
But yes, heating/cooling costs would make deserts and tundra more cost-effective to settle. The 9 months of snow on the ground would still get to most people, however.
The amount of both copper and nickel involved is trivial (even assuming worldwide full-blown implementation of E-cat technology), compared to the amounts of each mined today. I did the math at one point, and assuming that the entire world's electrical production shift to e-cat, the nickel consumed would be about 1% of current nickel production.
Plus there are several large asteroids with estimates of cubic miles of nickel in them.