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.

From the Energy Star website:

“Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved enough energy in 2007 alone to avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 27 million cars — all while saving $16 billion on their utility bills.”

A common theme to posts on this blog are the two major points outlined in the excerpt above: saving money and cutting back on environmental impact.

What exactly is Energy Star?  It is basically a set of energy standards created by the Environmental Protection Agency for certain appliances.  Their target numbers for efficiency are multipule percentage points better than that of the same non-Energy Star equipment, and although efficient models have a higher purchase price than their non-efficient siblings, many have the potential to pay for themselves over their lifetime.

Let’s look at water-using appliances as examples.  A qualified washing machine can save more than $500 over its lifetime, also saving energy and water.  Standards compliant diswashers use at a minimum 40% less energy and they too save water.  These are some pretty hefty advantages for things that we use all of the time.

Here’s a fast fact from the Energy Star website: Since 2000, Energy Star benefits have more than doubled.

With Energy Star’s benefits come some pressing questions.  One of which is why don’t we just make Energy Star the standard accross all appliances and stop selling antiquated and inefficient technology?  Of course there would be a greater cost involved, but the government–or big business–could create some sort of incentive system to offset that cost.  If the crisis is just around the corner, this seems like the prudent thing to do.

Aside from the home initiative, standards are also available for buildings and businesses.  Still, with all of this exposure, Energy Star is still only at a recognition rate of 40% in the American public.  Even if the program needs some small tweaks, it could save more with wider audience.