Save the Earth (Plus a Few Bucks)

3. Throw in a towel (15 seconds): Keep a big fluffy towel (the more absorbent, the better) somewhere convenient to the dryer. When you are about to dry a load of laundry, throw the towel into the dryer with the wet clothes. The towel will help absorb the water in the other clothes as the dryer tumbles, reducing the time needed to dry all the clothes by about 10%. This means you can run your dryer 10% less and save 10% of the cost of drying your clothes.

4. Not so hot (5 seconds for gas water heaters): Most water heaters are preset at 140 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. This is warmer than most people need. You can adjust your water heater down to 130 degrees (while a lower temperature will still be warm enough in most cases, you don't want to go below 125 degrees, since this will help ensure that common bacteria don't survive in your water tank) and you should remain comfortable. For each 10-degree reduction in water temperature, you'll save 3% to 5% on your energy bill.

5. Reset thermostat (10 seconds): The higher you set your thermostat in the summer, the less your air conditioner has to work (shoot for 78 degrees or higher). For every degree you increase the temperature on your thermostat, you save approximately 3% to 4% on your cooling bill. You should be able to keep your inside temperature 2 degrees higher without noticing much of a difference, and you might be able to set it even higher.

6. Turn off the water (5 seconds): Turning off the water while brushing your teeth and washing your hands is simply a matter of changing a habit. The average bathroom faucet flows at a rate of 2 gallons per minute. If you turn off the tap while brushing your teeth and washing your hands, you can save approximately four gallons of water each time. If you brush your teeth in the morning and at bedtime and wash your hands a few times a day, you can save up to 20 gallons of water per day -- which equals 600 gallons a month. For a family of four, this can save 2,400 gallons a month.