Many home improvement stores these days carry modern, energy-efficient fluorescent light bulbs, which can provide you with home savings as well as energy savings. Bob Vila says these are some key reasons to consider using the light bulbs in your home.

Bob Vila states fluorescent lights have gotten a bad reputation over the years for being too blase and plain - something you would only see in schools or businesses. However, more homeowners are putting them in their homes today and creating some substantial energy and home savings.

A new trend in swimming pool maintenance which many homeowners have taken advantage of is using eco-friendly pool-care equipment and chemicals. SmartMoney Magazine has a few suggestions to make your pool greener.

By using a saline water-cleaning system in your pool, you'll not only be helping the environment, put also creating some home savings, as saline is very affordable. Also, it can make the water smell fresh, and is easier on skin than chlorine, SM states.

By implementing a handful of water-saving methods in your home, you'll not only be preserving water from going to waste, but also putting more money in your wallet. Green Home Improvement pinpoints five areas of your home where you can help reduce water usage.

Installing a high-efficiency toilet and showerhead in your bathroom is one place you can start. About one-third of all water that enters your home literally goes down the toilet. It's easy to save on this major drain. A high-efficiency toilet can help you cut down on the 1.6-gallon-per-flush capacity most toilets use. By adding flushometer or pressure-assist valves, you can stop water from being wasted in your home.

For providing environmentally friendly home repairs to a Decatur, Georgia, property, the green construction firm Renewal Design-Build won the 2010 southeast regional Contractor of the Year award from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry.

The company, which strictly creates and renovates homes for energy savings, won the award after working with homeowners who wanted to nearly completely deconstruct their home to make it more energy-efficient. Renewal Design-Build used only recycled and renewable materials in their reconstruction of the 900-square-foot, 1930s cottage.