The cold winter days and ice-storms are just around the corner. And we use about 50% of our energy to either heat or cool ourselves. Here are some simple tips to help you save some energy. Call it easy money or a donation to the environment. Either way, if you apply these tips both your pocket book and the environment will profit.

The cost of electricity and other energy is rising all the time. Fortunately, there are many things that can be done to cut down on your energy consumption. Saving energy is good for your pocketbook and also good for the environment.

Heating and cooling are the biggest energy costs in most households. If the house is poorly insulated, a lot of that warm and cool air will escape to the outside.

Heat rises, so most of the heat escapes through poorly insulated attics and ceilings. Similarly, cool air falls, so an uninsulated floor can waste a lot of energy. Poorly fitting doors and windows are also energy wasters.

Your best line of defense in keeping in warm and cool air is to insulate the walls, ceilings, and floors. This can be a major undertaking in an older house but many governments offer subsidies for this kind of renovation. And remember, the savings that you realize from insulating your house will increase with every hike in energy prices.

Of course, houses are not the only places where we waste energy. Cars and trucks are the number one consumers of gasoline and oil. Anything we can do to decrease our consumption of these fossil fuels will help.

For saving energy for transportation try joining a car pool to get to work or use public transportation. Many cities have special express lanes reserved for buses and cars with more than 3 passengers. Getting to work this way could be faster and more relaxing.

We often use our cars unnecessarily. Admit it, have you ever driven to the corner store when you could just have easily walked? Leave the car at home, walk or use a bicycle instead. Its healthier and you will save money.

Back in the home, you can install energy efficient light bulbs and remember to turn appliances off when they are not being used. Just a little bit of effort can result in substantial energy savings over the course of a year. And thats good news for everyone.