The budget-friendly guide to green living: 18 ways to save water, energy--and money in your wallet.(PERSONAL CARE: ECO-WISE)

AS utility costs skyrocket faster than you can say, "My bill this month is what?" everyone's looking for creative ways to save water and energy. But you don't have to tear apart your plumbing or install solar panels to help the earth and lower your bills. There are lots of simple, low-cost ways to make energy consumption around the house more eco-friendly. These tips for each room add up to savings that benefit your budgetIand the world around you.

In the Kitchen

Air it out. Install aerators on faucets (a good thing to do in the bathroom as well). Aerators mix air with water to decrease water consumption. They also have the handy side effect of increasing the feel of water pressure and reducing splashes. Penny Bonda, rounding chair of the U.S. Green Building Council's committee for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Commercial Interiors, recommends Niagara Conservation's Swivel Aerator, which can be installed without calling a plumber.

Scrub in stages. When washing dishes by hand, don't send water savings down the drain. For double sinks, fill one side with sudsy water, turn off the faucet, then wash. Place soapy dishes in the second sink, and when that's full, rinse. Or simply wet dishes, add soap to the sponge, and then turn off the tap. Wash dishes until the soap runs out, rinse those, set in a dish rack, and repeat with remaining dishes.

Don't do the dirty work. When using a dishwasher, there's no need to prerinse plates before loading. Most dishwashers are now built to do that lob themselves. Research has found that prerinsing by hand doesn't get dishes any cleaner during the cycle--it just means more work for you. Also, run the dishwasher (and washing machine) only when full.

Downsize dinner. Prepare meals in 8- x 8-inch baking dishes or regular loaf pans (they're just the right size for four servings), then bake in the toaster oven for an eco-friendlier hot meal.

Put the freeze on energy drains. When it's chilly outside, cold-drink consumption goes down, but automatic ice makers keep chugging along. Switch to hand-filled ice trays, or turn the ice maker off when the bucket is full to keep it from running constantly.