Climate resilience and financial health

We study how rising energy costs, extreme weather, and climate related disruptions intersect with household finances and identify solutions that strengthen financial resilience.

How does climate impact financial security?

Climate change is no longer just an environmental issue. It is increasingly a financial one.

From higher utility bills and insurance costs to floods, hurricanes, wildfires, and extreme heat, climate related events are making it harder for many households to achieve financial stability. These challenges are often felt most acutely by families with the fewest financial resources.

Understanding these connections is essential to building solutions that help people prepare for, respond to, and recover from financial shocks.

The Downpour is SaverLife’s flagship climate resilience research initiative. Through surveys, member stories, transactional data, and partnerships, we explore how climate related events relate to household finances and identify opportunities to strengthen financial resilience.

The initiative examines issues such as:

Climate related financial risk
Rising energy costs
Disaster preparedness and recovery
Household resilience
Clean energy adoption

Key findings

The constant balancing act of managing multiple competing financial obligations makes it difficult to plan and prepare for the impacts of climate change. When a climaterelated event strikes, SaverLife members lack the financial stability needed to withstand and recover from its effects: Over half (54%) of members felt their household is unprepared to handle a severe weather event or disaster.

Read the report

Many SaverLife members report that managing high energy costs is a year-round struggle. 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. Simultaneously, there is a high interest in clean energy technologies across states. With over 65% of members being interested in clean energy heating and cooling systems.

Read the brief

Climate-related events occur regularly and challenge SaverLife members’ financial stability throughout the year. The realities of more frequent and disruptive climate-related events become concerning when coupled with the fact that 65% of SaverLife members predict they will need at least $3,000 to recover from a disaster, despite maintaining an average savings balance of $1,366. And 48% of SaverLife members reported experiencing at least one type of material hardship associated with climate-related events.

Read the brief

Featured projects and recent insights

Rising energy costs and clean energy solutions

As energy costs rise, how we offer solutions matters.

Closing the gap

Building climate resilience by meeting the demand for clean energy solutions.

Severe weather and home weatherization

As energy costs climb, interest in clean energy is surging.

LIHEAP and the need immediate and targeted support

Why we can’t afford to lose LIHEAP as households face record energy costs.

Energy burden is a financial emergency

High energy costs threaten household stability.

The Downpour

Navigating chronic climate expenses in households living on low-to-moderate incomes.

Member spotlight: José

José can name a variety of incentives and programs that help homeowners like him prepare for climate change. But when it comes to actually taking advantage of these initiatives, he’s priced out.

Read José's story