When we talk about the price of oil, we are usually concerned about how much we will pay at the pump - but petroleum is used for more than just filling your tank. Replacing the use of petroleum with renewable energy could help cut the price of gas and other products while reducing the effects of climate change.

The most obvious consideration is switching to a hybrid vehicle. A hybrid runs on two or more fuel sources, like gas and rechargeable batteries. They use less gas and exhaust emissions are reduced.

Off the road, the nationwide heating oil price could be as much as 90 cents higher than a year ago. But the more clean, renewable energy sources we use, such as solar and wind, the less dependent on oil we could be - less demand would mean lower prices. Nearly 25 states are helping by requiring utilities to buy increased amounts of their power from renewable sources like wind and solar.

Be a squeaky wheel and tell your utility company you want more energy from renewables. Instead of the squeaky wheel getting the oil, we'll get a cleaner, alternative energy source instead to save us all money in the long run.