A Texas mom on responsibility, resilience, and the power bills that test her every month
“We Make It Work”: How Waverly balances family, work, and rising energy costs
Waverly knows what it means to make things work. She’s thoughtful with her budget, steady in her job, and focused on giving her son the stability he deserves. But every month, the electric bill threatens to undo that careful balance. “The most important thing for me right now is just being able to afford all of my monthly expenses,” she said. “That’s what it really comes down to.”
Doing everything right
A few years ago, Waverly had a manageable energy plan. “I was in a decent contract — no more than 10 cents a kilowatt,” she said. “And then it was time to renew, and it just drastically shot up to, like, 18 cents. That’s a huge difference.” Her experience mirrors what many SaverLife members are facing. Compared to one year ago, 80% of SaverLife members report that their energy costs have increased, highlighting how rising utility prices are straining household budgets across the country.
Waverly didn’t panic, she adjusted as best she could
“You hope and pray that next month is different,” she said. “Sometimes I think, oh, I didn’t use that much, and it still comes back high. There’s no pattern. And it’s one of those things you have to pay — you can’t carry it over to the next month, because then you’ll get further behind and you’ll have no lights.”
Every time the bill comes in, she takes a deep breath before opening it. “I hold my breath when I get that email, because I don’t know what it’s going to be,” she said. “But I always make sure it gets paid.”
The rules of the thermostat
In Texas, where Waverly lives, the weather rarely cooperates. “You really don’t get relief,” she said. “It has to be perfect weather for you not to have to run anything. In Texas — that rarely happens.”
Over the years, she’s learned to manage her home with care and intention. “I’m the only one who touches the thermostat,” she said with a laugh. “I live with my son — he’s 19 — and he knows not to change the temperature. He can’t really be responsible for paying a $300, $400, $500 electric bill, so he knows not to touch it.”
She still laughs remembering the look on a repairman’s face when he suggested lowering the temperature. “He was like, ‘You want it at 75?’ And I looked at him like, are you crazy? Who runs their air all day on 75? We are 78, 80. It does not go below 78.”
That rule has held steady. “Some days, it’s still hot in here,” she admitted. “But we rely on ceiling fans to keep things comfortable.” Waverly isn’t alone — this past summer, 72% of SaverLife members said the temperature in their home rose above 80 degrees for at least four hours while they were home, showing how common it is for families to endure uncomfortable heat to save on energy costs.
When the temperature swings, she encourages her son to adapt. “If it’s cold, I tell him to put on socks. If it’s hot, I tell him to go outside for a bit. When it’s really hot, I tell him to use the A/C in the car.”
She smiles as she says it — a mix of humor and hard-earned wisdom. “You’re hot, you’re frustrated, and you want to dip the temperature, you want to run the A/C,” she said. “But then you have to say, okay, I can’t afford a $500 electric bill.”
Providing, planning, and persevering
As a working mom, Waverly has mastered the art of stretching every dollar and every hour. She’s careful with her budget and thoughtful about what matters most.
“There are times I skip things at the grocery store so I can cover the bill,” she said. “You just make those sacrifices.” These types of sacrifices are common among SaverLife members. We find that 57% of members report cutting back on food or other essentials to afford energy bills.
When repairs on her unit are needed, she rearranges her schedule and makes sure things get done. “If our unit goes down on Monday, I have to stay home Tuesday,” she said. “I have to tell my boss I can’t make it to work. I may not miss pay, but I still have to make sure things are taken care of.”
She doesn’t complain — she plans, adjusts, and keeps moving forward. “You do what you have to do,” she said. “This is just another thing to manage.”
When doing everything right still isn’t enough
Waverly does everything she can to stay ahead — she works hard, plans carefully, and manages her household with intention. But when it comes to support programs, she finds herself caught in a system that doesn’t fit families like hers.
“There’s assistance out there, but I don’t qualify,” she said. “I make just enough that I can’t get help, but not enough to keep up without struggling.”
It’s a familiar story for many working parents — earning too much to qualify for help, but still carrying the weight of bills that don’t stop rising.
Even so, Waverly keeps her focus where it matters most: on providing for her son, keeping a steady home, and moving forward no matter what the next bill brings.
“We make it work,” she said. “That’s what you do. You figure it out, and you keep going.”
Grounded and connected
Waverly’s story is one of strength and persistence. She budgets carefully, conserves energy, and shows her son what it means to take responsibility and keep going.
Her experience reflects what many SaverLife members face: people working hard, making smart choices, and still navigating systems that weren’t built with them in mind.
At SaverLife, we share stories like Waverly’s to make those realities visible — so that the people shaping policies and programs can see the real impact of rising costs and find better ways to support families like hers.
Learn more
Waverly’s story is part of The Downpour, SaverLife’s climate research initiative exploring how climate change affects the financial lives of low- and moderate-income households. In 2024, we shared reports, webinars, and powerful member stories revealing the growing toll of climate-driven disasters.
Now, we’re turning our focus to the rising burden of household energy costs. Our member surveys and interviews tell a clear story: for many families, energy bills aren’t just high—they’re a crisis. Over a third of SaverLife members struggle to pay utility bills, and many are forced to make impossible trade-offs: cutting back on food, delaying medical care, or going into debt just to keep the lights on.
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Discover how SaverLife members across the country are stepping up to protect their families and communities from the impacts of climate change.
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