My goal this month was to cut my electric usage in order to cut my bill. I view investments in "green energy" in my home as a long term savings system. After doing the math I realized that recouping costs meant waiting a little longer to enjoy the savings. This meant that I bought some smart power surge protectors like Belkin's surge protector that controls my TV system (when the TV is on, my DVD player is on, when the TV is off, my DVD player is off, etc.), readjusted my schedule for using my clothes dryer (an energy hog), got my windows fixed (they had been letting air in) and cut off heat to my 3rd floor which I rarely use nor do I need to heat it. My employer offers a 20% discount for one energy company which gave me a better rate and will give me a fixed rate over the summer. My state is deregulated when it comes to electricity providers so I can choose between suppliers which is nice.
My usage went down from at its peak 85kWh to at its peak 25kWh. My "budget" amount this month was $20.00 cheaper. I did a lot of math to determine how much each appliance in my house was costing me in terms of energy usage when used and possible phantom energy that it's using when I'm not at home. I've tried to cut off all phantom power in my house. When I get paid in March, I will buy LEDs for the bulbs that need to be changed. For some reason, I always forget to change bulbs and end up having like 2 out of 3 working so I needed to buy more anyways. My next goal is lowering my gas usage. A lot of research and math has been employed. Last night I configured my computer's energy saving settings, as well. Hopefully that will help, too.
I don't have the money to buy a new, more efficient energy star refrigerator, dryer or washer but I'm doing everything I can without buying new ones.
I think we are just going to have to learn to adapt to different situations for energy production and supply. I do think that the less we use, the better.
That's just my two cents.