I like saving money, don't you? And helping take care of our planet isn't so bad either. Here are some easy ways to do both:

You can save big money by making sure you don't have any air leaks around doors and windows. It's a lot easier to detect these in the winter and they can be easily fixed with caulking and weatherstripping. You can also call your local utilities for an energy audit although not all utilities provide them. I was suprised to learn that our Oklahoma City utilities stopped offering this service a couple of years ago. You can do your own energy audit by going to www.energystar.gov. This is a great site, check it out--I think you'll be surprised at all it offers.

I have lots of chargers--chargers for my cell phone, MLS key, bluetooth, electric razor to name a few. When these chargers are plugged in they are sucking energy all the time, even when they're not charging anything! It's called "phantom load." Your tv, coffee pot and other electric appliances are guilty of this too.

In many cases just being aware and making minor changes can save money and energy. I think I can do that.