If you’ve noticed your home insurance premiums going up or even your provider pulling out altogether, you’re not alone. Home insurance rates are going up across the U.S., and in some places, people are losing coverage altogether.

One of the biggest reasons? Natural disasters worsened by increasing temperatures.

What’s happening?

A new market research report by the business company found that extreme weather is now one of the factors that drives the growth of the homeowner’s insurance market. In other words, insurance companies are charging more, offering less, or just leaving risky areas altogether — all because of the effects of increasing temperatures.

Relatedly, NASA scientist Dr. Kate Marvel recently said on the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast that insurance companies taking this seriously is what finally convinced her father that climate change is real.

“The fact that every insurance company has climate scientists on staff, and insurance companies are all pricing in climate risks,” she said. “There is no financial incentive for them to do that if it wasn’t real.”

You’ve probably heard about this happening in California, where a lot of big insurers stopped offering new coverage because of wildfire risk. However, the trend is spreading around, and, for example, Florida and Louisiana were especially affected by it after the hurricanes hit. This new data confirms that what we’re seeing isn’t a one-off: this looks like the new normal.

Watch now: How bad is a gas stove for your home’s indoor air quality?

Why is the insurance crisis important?

Dirty energy is heating up our planet, which makes storms more intense, wildfires more frequent, and flooding more destructive. That kind of damage creates massive payouts for insurers, and many of them just don’t want to take the risk anymore.

Here’s the big issue: This insurance crisis isn’t just about money. It’s about safety and stability. Without access to affordable insurance, people are stuck living in homes that could be destroyed by the next storm or fire.

What’s being done about the insurance crisis?

The Inflation Reduction Act is already helping homeowners make their houses more disaster-resilient and energy efficient by including different new items like fire-resistant roofs to solar panels, and weatherized windows. These upgrades can lower your insurance risk and shrink your energy bills at the same time.

Some businesses and community organizations are also coming up with smart ideas. Q Cabin Kits builds prefab homes that can handle wildfires and storms. In New Orleans, Sustain the Nine is helping neighbors recover from hurricanes and build stronger, greener homes.

What is the best thing you can do about the growing home insurance crisis? Help cool the planet. When you use less dirty energy, you help slow the extreme weather that’s putting homes at risk. Try switching from gas to electric at home, using clean energy if it’s available, and cutting back on energy use where you can.

Remember that you don’t have to change everything about your life: every small switch helps.

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