According to a Columbia study Americans are pretty clueless about energy usage. 

Take this quiz to see how energy smart you are.

Many people believe that they can save energy with small behavior changes.  When in fact these small changes, such as switching off lights, actually achieve very little.  In addition most people underestimated the benefits  of switching to more efficient appliances and autos.

The study surveyed people regarding their understanding  of the most effective ways to save energy. The survey results appeared in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Nearly 20 percent of the people said that turning off lights is the best approach to saving energy.  The truth is that turning off lights affects energy budgets relatively little.

If you can afford make changes the highest energy savings will come from replacing energy wasting autos and appliances with a more efficient ones.  Plus, weatherizing your home.

Saving energy = saving money!

Personal finance coach, Matt Kelly, lives in Durango, CO.  He blogs here at www.debtfreetribe.com and writes a monthly newspaper column called Money Savvy.