Save money on rising energy bills, while slashing your carbon footprint at the same time. All you need to do is hire an energy detective. Wait...what?! I'm not talking Sherlock Holmes -- I'm talking about an energy monitoring device. A good example is The Energy Detective (TED), which starts at $139.

The Energy Detective is a small display that indicates household electrical usage in real time and projects your monthly bill — all without using batteries. Research has found that real-time energy feedback leads consumers to reduce their electricity consumption. According to the company you'll save 15-20% on each bill, which would amount to hundreds of dollars a year.