The financial toll of severe weather is hitting home. Extreme weather is no longer a theoretical risk for low- and moderate-income households — it’s a persistent, day-to-day challenge. Rising energy bills, driven by weather extremes and inflation, are placing increasing pressure on already stretched budgets. As household energy burdens grow, the need for equitable and accessible clean energy solutions has never been more urgent.

This blog draws on new geographic data from SaverLife’s Downpour research initiative—an ongoing effort to understand how the effects of climate change are straining household budgets. Our latest national survey, fielded in April 2025, included responses from SaverLife members across the country. In this post, we take a closer look at findings from four states, providing a view of where households are struggling most, their interest in clean energy solutions, and where opportunity exists for more inclusive product and policy design.

Energy Bills Are a Financial Burden Across the Country, No Matter the Season

National research consistently shows that low-to-moderate income households are disproportionately impacted by high energy costs. Consistent with national research, SaverLife members routinely spend several hundred dollars a month on energy bills regardless of season or location.

Many SaverLife members report that managing high energy costs is a year-round struggle. During the spring of 2025, nearly 70% of SaverLife members from across the country, most of whom come from households with low- to moderate-incomes, said it was “very” or “somewhat difficult” to pay their energy bills, and 72% said it was “very” or “somewhat difficult” to pay their energy bills last winter. In other words, although spring typically brings milder weather, energy costs continued to strain household budgets. And as one member put it, “[The energy bill] fluctuates between like $315 to $350... In the spring, it'll go down a little bit, and then in winter or summer, it'll go back up.” While members are highly attuned to seasonal price shifts, even modest drops in cost don’t necessarily ease the financial burden. Instead, for many low- to moderate-income households, high energy costs are a persistent financial strain throughout the year.

Factors like inflation, rising temperatures, shifting weather patterns, natural disasters, and increased energy demand from AI and crypto operations continue to compound the financial strain for households earning low-to-moderate incomes. While these challenges vary by region, high energy costs are felt across states. To explore regional patterns, we took a closer look at four states — Texas, Florida, Georgia, and California — where SaverLife has strong member representation and where extreme weather and energy affordability are pressing concerns.*

Source: SaverLife Climate Tracker survey, April 2025. Differences shown in this figure are not statistically significant.

Focusing on energy costs in the spring of 2025, nearly 70% of SaverLife members reported difficulty affording their energy bills (Figure 1 above). Across California, Texas, Georgia and Florida, the share who reported struggling to keep up with energy costs was largely consistent. Perhaps this reflects the milder, and more comparable, temperatures typically experienced during spring time in these four states, but it also highlights how widespread of an issue energy cost burdens are for those living across the country.

Searching for Solutions: Demand for Tax Credits and Energy Upgrades Is Surging

Clean energy technologies— like energy-efficient appliances, improved insulation, and solar power— can lower utility costs, improve quality of life, and increase household financial resilience. Given how widespread energy cost hardship is among SaverLife members, ensuring access to these solutions among interested households is critical. Notably, interest in clean energy has soared since we first asked members about it in 2023 (Figure 2).**

Source: 2023 Climate Economic Impacts Survey and 2024 Energy Cost Burden Survey. Differences between 2023 and 2024 interest have not been tested for statistical significance.

Our most recent survey also confirms high interest in clean energy technologies across states. Often, it is assumed that California residents are unique in their degree of interest in clean energy technologies and that those living in other parts of the country don’t share the same level of enthusiasm. At least among SaverLife members, our data indicates that this is not entirely true. While California leads the way in interest in some clean energy technologies, members in Texas, Florida, and Georgia also express high interest in adopting certain clean energy technologies (Figure 3).

Source: SaverLife Climate Tracker survey, April 2025. Some differences are statistically significant at the 95% confidence level: Californians show significantly higher interest in heating and cooling systems (vs. Florida and Georgia), insulation or windows (vs. Texas and Florida), and energy-efficient appliances (vs. Texas and Florida). Interest in insulation or windows is also significantly higher in Texas and Georgia compared to Florida. No significant differences were found for solar panels.

For instance, compared to residents in Texas, Georgia, and Florida, California-based SaverLife members more often reported interest in energy-efficient heating and cooling systems. Yet, a similar share of California members reported interest in energy-efficient appliances as those living in Georgia, in insulation and windows as those living in Texas and Georgia, and in solar panels as those living in Texas, Georgia, and Florida. As the financial impacts of climate change intensify and household energy burdens grow, the need for equitable, accessible solutions, even in states not traditionally associated with high levels of interest in clean energy technology, has never been more urgent.

Despite High Interest in Clean Energy Technologies, Adoption Remains Low Across States

Our recent research makes one thing clear: people want relief, and they’re ready for solutions. While interest in clean energy technologies is high, actual adoption remains remarkably low, a disconnect that underscores the need for more accessible, affordable, and inclusive pathways to clean energy. Overall, only 7% of SaverLife members report owning energy-efficient heating and/or cooling systems, home insulation, or energy-efficient appliances, respectively. An even smaller percentage (5%) report owning solar panels, despite growing enthusiasm for these solutions.

Source: SaverLife Climate Tracker survey, April 2025. One difference is statistically significant at the 95% confidence level: Californians are significantly more likely to already own solar panels compared to residents of Florida and Georgia. No other statistically significant differences in ownership were observed across states for the other technologies.

With only one exception, adoption of these different technologies remains similarly low across California, Texas, Georgia, and Florida. As shown in Figure 4, even in California, where it is often assumed that clean energy technologies are eagerly adopted, adoption levels remain modest at best. For instance, less than 10% of members in California, as well as Texas, Georgia, and Florida already have energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, home insulation, or energy-efficient appliances. The one exception is solar panels with Californians more frequently owning solar panels compared to members in Texas, Georgia, and Florida; but even still, adoption among SaverLife members in California hovers at just 13%. These figures illustrate a core tension in our data: interest is high, but access remains limited and that our assumptions about who wants and uses these technologies are not always accurate.

Barriers to Uptake among SaverLife Members

Affordability remains the most common barrier to clean energy adoption among interested SaverLife members. In our April 2025 survey, when asked how they would pay for a clean energy technology they were interested in, the most common response, selected by 55% of participants was: “I could not afford to make this purchase unless I received financial assistance.”

When asked how they would pay for a clean energy technology they were interested in, overall, only 9% of SaverLife members say they can currently afford to make clean energy purchases. At the state level, only a small share across the four states—ranging from 10% to 16%—said they could make the purchase with the money they currently have (Figure 5). Instead, at least three-quarters of SaverLife members in these four states would require either financial assistance or credit in order to adopt clean energy tools. It is critical to acknowledge the consistency of these financial struggles reported across states because it suggests that even in states like California and Texas with a considerable number of state incentives and policies to encourage uptake of clean energy technologies more can be done to get these tools into the hands of interested consumers, especially those from low and moderate income households.

Source: SaverLife Climate Tracker survey, April 2025. Percentages do not sum to 100% because “None of the above” responses are excluded. Differences between states are not statistically significant at the 95% confidence level.

Cost isn’t the only obstacle SaverLife members face when it comes to the adoption of clean energy technology. Many households also face structural barriers that make adoption difficult or impossible, particularly renters, who often aren’t eligible for energy tax credits or can’t make upgrades to their units. Overall, nearly 60% of members indicated they rent their homes. In states like Texas, Florida, Georgia, and California, more than half of members are renters, underscoring how widespread this barrier is across regions. As one member put it: “We rent, so we can’t install solar panels even though we want to.”

In order to build household-level climate resilience, the solutions must be as accessible as the problems are urgent. That means expanding outreach, funding upfront support, making programs renter-inclusive, and addressing regional barriers to adoption. SaverLife will continue to surface what families need most and share this data with the policymakers, practitioners, and advocates working to ensure the transition to clean energy doesn’t leave certain communities behind.

A Note on the Survey Sample

Data in Figure 2 draws on findings from two earlier SaverLife surveys: the 2023 Climate Economic Impacts Survey (n = 1,641) and the 2024 Energy Cost Burden Survey (n = 855). The primary data in this blog comes from a survey fielded in April 2025 (n = 1,144) focused on energy cost burden, access to energy assistance, and uptake of clean energy technologies. State-level data presented in the analysis includes: California (n = 110), Texas (n = 91), Florida (n = 64), and Georgia (n = 51). The sample reflects a diverse cross-section of SaverLife’s national member base, with strong representation from communities most vulnerable to energy and climate-related financial hardship.

Housing status among respondents was split between renters (57%) and homeowners (43%). In terms of racial and ethnic identity, 33% of respondents identified as Black or African American, 10% as Hispanic or Latino, 50% as white, and 5% as Asian. The sample skews predominantly female, with 80% of participants identifying as women. Regarding age, 65% of respondents were between 35 and 54 years old, while 12% were 55 or older. Financially, 48% of participants reported annual household incomes under $50,000.

About SaverLife’s Climate Tracker and Climate Change Research

SaverLife’s Downpour project is a research initiative focused on understanding how severe weather events are straining household budgets, with the goal of providing timely, actionable insights to policymakers, financial health leaders, and advocates. From unexpected income loss to rising utility bills and emergency expenses, our research captures the everyday financial disruptions households face as a result of extreme weather. SaverLife will continue to gather household-level data that reflects how families are navigating these challenges and what supports they need to build financial resilience. Throughout 2025, we’ll be releasing new research and storytelling pieces that illuminate the economic effects of severe weather and offer solutions grounded in real experiences.

*Florida, Texas, Georgia, and California were selected for state-level analysis due to their high climate risk, diverse policy and energy landscapes, and because there was a sufficient sample size in each. CA (n=110), TX (n=91), FL (n=64), and GA (n=51).

**Interest in energy-efficient home upgrades rose sharply between 2023 and 2024 among surveyed SaverLife members. Interest in insulation or new windows increased from 59% to 87%, a 47% jump, while interest in upgrading stoves or water heaters grew from 58% to 81%, a 40% increase. Interest in heating and cooling systems saw the largest relative growth, rising from 48% to 79%, a 65% increase. Interest in solar panels climbed from 46% to 65% (+41%), and interest in electric vehicles rose from 40% to 50% (+25%).

As Energy Costs Climb, Interest in Clean Energy Is Surging