Did you know nearly 25% of the energy used in the U.S. comes from natural gas? So it's a good idea to conserve both for the future, and to save money today.

Some big companies are doing their part to conserve natural gas.

Dave Haft, of Frito-Lay: "In the area of natural gas, there are many areas to conserve and reduce usage. We seek out the highest efficiency burners that are commercially available. We've retrofitted our ovens at least three times in the last ten years to continuously upgrade the quality and efficiency of those burners."

And flooring manufacturer Shaw Industries installed a system at their Georgia plant to improve efficiency and capture and reuse excess heat.

If you use natural gas in your home, lower the thermostat on your water heater to save 3-5% in energy costs for every 10 degrees you turn down the temperature. Or replace inefficient furnaces and water heaters with new high-efficiency models.

Also, see if your local gas company offers credits on your bill for using less gas than you did the year before. If they do, then you'll see the savings right on the bill.