Consumer buzz: Plant trees and cut energy bills by 30 percent

Seen on MSN.com: Did you know that just three trees properly placed around a house could save up to 30 percent of energy use? This is according to the U.S. Forest Service Center for Urban Forest Research. One study found that trees planted on the south and west sides of houses in Sacramento, Calif., reduced summertime electricity bills by an average of $25.

In Chicago, the city's 3.6 million trees reduce air pollution by about 890 tons annually, a $6.4 million benefit, according to the Forest Service. And in Portland, Ore., street trees growing in front of or near a house added an average of $8,870 to its sale price and reduced time on the market by nearly two days.

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