Green Tip: Turn Off Those Lights

It sounds almost too simple, but don't forget that you can save a lot of energy, and therefore money, by making sure to turn off the lights when you leave a room.

Lighting is responsible for about 11 percent of a home's energy bills, and those continue to march up across most of the country, at a time when home prices are falling and job growth is soft. It's true that a compact fluorescent bulb uses about 75 percent less electricity than an incandescent, but the most energy-saving bulb of all is one that's turned off.

So get in the habit of flipping those switches when you leave a room. Kids can easily get in on the action, and it's an environmental value that will last a lifetime, and carry over into other areas