Did you know that coal and nuclear power plants generate most electricity? Which means every time you turn on the lights, you create a little pollution. So saving electricity doesn't just put money in your pocket, it helps keep the air and water clean too. Good news for your pocket and Mother Earth. Good news for your inner hippie.

The best way to save on your electric bill is to modify your use of the biggest electricity guzzlers in your house. These are usually:

• Air Conditioning - Turn it off or up higher than normal when you're not home. When you're home, keep the AC as high as you can stand it, if possible over 78 Fahrenheit. Use ceiling or desk fans for as long as you can, before turning on the AC. In the South, this is around February.
• Heating (if you have electric heat) - Use space heaters to heat rooms you're in rather than cranking up the heat in the entire apartment. And get some good blankets to snuggle up in on the couch.
• Electric Water Heater - Wash clothes in cold water. If you have to, use warm water but never -or rarely- hot.
• Electric Clothes Dryer - Use a clothesline to dry your clothes, especially during the warmer months. Your apartment won't heat up like a toaster. And even though clothes drying smells delightful sometimes, so do air dried ones. Trust us. Try it.
• Lighting - Change your light bulbs to compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). CFLs provide high-quality light using smart technology and design, requiring less energy while lasting longer than typical incandescent bulbs. According to www.energystar.gov, if every household in the U.S. replaced one light bulb with a qualified CFL, it would prevent enough pollution to equal removing one million cars from the road.