One of the biggest energy hogs in the home during the fall and winter months is heat, whether it's from oil or electricity. While sealing up cracks in windows and doors is one way to prevent warm air from escaping, here's one culprit you may not have thought about: your kitchen and bathroom ventilation fans. Yes, they are useful for removing steamy heat or cooking odors from inside the home, but if they are left on for too long, they also suck out warm air. This causes your heating system to work harder to keep your home warm. Use the ventilation systems for a few minutes and shut them off to save money and energy.

After you've brewed a cup of morning joe, don't toss the used grinds down the drain. Try soaking an old cotton T-shirt in cold coffee and wiping scratched tables to see the small nicks, dents and dings disappear. Or scrub your hands clean with old grinds and hand soap; the grinds will buff away dead skin, and the soap will make sure your hands are stain-free. Finally, try mixing old coffee grinds in the soil near acid-loving plants like dogwoods, hemlocks, blueberry bushes, hydrangeas and oak trees. The plants will thrive and love the extra jolt of nutrition.

According to the nonprofit EarthShare, one way to cut your digital carbon footprint is to store your data, photos and other shared information on cloud storage spaces. These protected data centers are more than just efficient digital storage; they often have high-tech cooling systems that make use of renewable energy. EarthShare estimates that small businesses with fewer than 100 users could cut their energy consumption by as much as 90 percent by using a cloud storage system. That's good for the environment, good for utility savings and makes workplace efficiency streamlined, too.