Learn How to Bank Green!

Take online bill pay, for example: by paying your bills online, you reduce paper waste and help save fuel consumption by the trucks and planes that carry paper checks around the country.

In fact, according to Javelin Strategy & Research, if every American household paid their bills online, it would cut solid waste by 1.45 billion tons and curb greenhouse gas emission by 1.9 tons per year.

Here are a few other simple tips to help keep our planet green:

• Sign up for eStatements and Account Alerts. United Educators now offers paperless statements. Sign on to Solutions@HOME today to take advantage of these "green" options!
• Inflate your tires. Increase your vehicles fuel efficiency by ensuring that all your tires are properly inflated.
• Turn off the lights. When you leave a room, turn off lights and other energy consuming appliances.
• Change your bulbs. Switch to energy efficient fluorescent bulbs that can last up to 10 times longer and use 66% less energy than regular light bulbs.
• Monitor your thermostat. Turning it up 3 degrees in the summer and down 3 degrees in the winter could prevent the emission of nearly 1,100 pounds of carbon dioxide each year.
• Send eCards. Online greeting cards are a fun and environmentally friendly alternative to paper cards.

For more information on things we can all do to help, visit the US Department of Energy's consumer website at http://www.energy.gov/forconsumers.htm  or the US Department of Energy's educator website at http://www.energy.gov/foreducators.htm .