Self-Help’s green financing programs, such as our loans for electric vehicles (EVs) and home improvement upgrades, demonstrate our commitment to bringing accessible, affordable, sustainable solutions to all communities, so that no one is left out of the money-saving benefits of clean energy and improved efficiency. Done mostly through our consumer lending, but often in conjunction with local partners, our efforts in this arena are broad and span our geographies. For example, our participation in the Electrify ABC program supports home energy efficiency and electrification upgrades for homeowners in Western North Carolina. Similarly, our partnership with Valley Clean Air Now (Valley CAN) in California is designed to encourage car owners in the San Joaquin Valley to replace gas burning vehicles with EVs. At Self-Help, we also walk our talk: we prioritize energy efficiency and resource conservation across our owned and developed buildings.
In 2024, Self-Help provided:
- $8,137,523 in financing to support over 200 electric vehicle purchases
- $2,446,056 in financing to support energy efficient home improvement upgrades
Partner spotlight
San Joaquin Valley in California is one of the country’s most polluted regions. Self-Help Federal Credit Union teamed up with Valley CAN in 2024 to help low-income drivers in California's San Joaquin Valley replace older gas vehicles with EVs. The program combines state incentives of up to $12,000 with Self-Help's flexible financing to make EVs more affordable, allowing people at lower income levels to enjoy the energy efficiency and money saving provided by EVs. Key to the initiative is streamlining the financing process to reduce approval times and increase loan completion rates. Through this innovative program, Self-Help has provided over $713,925 in EV loans.
An update on our partnership with Climate United
Self-Help Climate Capital is a coalition partner of Climate United, which was awarded a $6.97 billion grant through the National Clean Investment Fund program under the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. This program aims to catalyze affordable financing for energy efficiency measures, renewable energy, and electric vehicles, with Self-Help focusing on consumers and single-family households. The EPA unlawfully froze funding in February 2025 and then attempted to terminate the grants in March, and litigation is ongoing. Despite this setback, we remain focused on investing in projects that save households money, cut pollution, and strengthen local communities.
