The key component of this post’s title is fuel, and we are definitely not talking about gasoline.

Here’s the car: The Honda Civic GX

If you don’t want to click on the link, then we’ll just tell you that it is a compressed natural gas car (CNG).  What is the main benefit to this alternative fuel?  It can have, for now at least, a much lower price than what you are currently paying at the pump.  Aside from that, it burns cleaner than gasoline and when you buy you are buying a fuel that was probably made in the U.S.

The car’s $25K price tag is even softer on the wallet when you take into account the tax credits, and at $1.50 per gallon for the fuel, there are even more savings to be had.  The one issue linked to that $1.50 number is that it relies on a home refueling unit, so there’ll be some extra cost there.  There are supposed to be tax credits for the home install though, but make sure to do some research in your state to find out what is available.

The advantages never come without disadvantages, and the biggest for this type of vehicle seems to be the issue of scarcity.  The car is hard to find and fueling stations are not ubiquitous.  Even if these are big barriers, we still encourage you to crunch some numbers and see if it might work out for you.

Don’t like Honda or don’t want to plunk down the $25K?  You can convert your existing vehicle to CNG.  This link is a good place to start if you want to go that route.  Oh, and you’ll probably need to know where to get fuel.  Try this service station finder.

Note: We know this post runs opposite of saving money on natural gas in the home, but if a subject will save money in a different area and help the environment at the same time, we are obligated to report.