Some people clip coupons. Others drive less.

Ventura resident Eugene Wheeler collects rainwater.

With rising fuel costs and California's recent drought, the former Ventura County planning director decided to go green to save some green. "That was part of my reason for doing all these things," said Wheeler, who holds a master's degree in city planning from Harvard University. "It wasn't all altruistic. I was interested in saving money in the long run."

So he installed 20 solar panels and set up a system that diverts rainwater from his roof to tanks in his backyard.

Wheeler, 84, put the 4-kilowatt panels on his roof two years ago. They supply about 95 percent of his home's power.

His electricity bill was $100 a month. Now, it's $36 a year.

"I like the idea of being independent, power wise," Wheeler said.

Wheeler has eliminated 23,586 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, according to a console that monitors the solar panels.

It cost about $21,000 after rebates to install the panels, Wheeler said, but he expects the savings to grow as electricity rates rise.

Rates are expected to increase about 2 1/2 cents a kilowatt-hour for residents in 2009, according to an April notice Southern California Edison sent to customers.

Wheeler's latest endeavor is his rainwater collection system that is used for irrigation.

"We're in a drought and it's going to get worse, and everything I hear from experts in the field, they say this is just the beginning," Wheeler said. "So I thought, 'Well, I'll just start saving my water.'"

Known as rainwater catchment or harvesting, similar setups have been used throughout history and are currently used in Australia, Texas and Arizona.

But California is catching up, said Marilyn Crenshaw, a Santa Cruz architect and representative for American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association.

"More and more people are asking for it as the price of water is going up," Crenshaw said.

Wheeler began installing the seven-tank system — which holds about 3,000 gallons — in November. He researched and designed his system and hired help to build it. It cost about $4,000, not including labor.

Before the system, Wheeler said his water bill was about $231 over four months. Now, it's about $33.

"I think it will pay off before we die," said his 89-year-old wife, Eugenie.

To save more water, Wheeler tore up his lawn and put in fruit trees. "I hated to give up the lawn, but the more I thought about it, it had to go," Wheeler said.

Wheeler learned of rainwater saving in the early '60s when he was stationed in the West Indies as a planning consultant with the U.S. State Department.

"There are cisterns all over the West Indies because they have to save water. It rains a lot, but it evaporates fast," Wheeler said.

When it rains, water on the roof flows to the gutter, goes through two filters, and then enters a pipe and is pumped into a tank.

Wheeler's tanks can hold 2.6 inches of rain. His tanks are empty now. He has used up water saved from the last rainfall four months ago, he said. He will use city water until it rains.

While his tactics may seem extreme, Wheeler said there are simpler ways to save and everyone can do something.

He said one way is with check dams — small barriers put up around a property to stop water loss.

"If I can do it, I'm sure a lot of other people can."

Ways to save

- Shorten showers by a few minutes.

- Fix leaky faucets and pipes.

- Wash only full loads of laundry.

- Use three-way or compact fluorescent light bulbs.

- Clean sidewalks and driveways with brooms, not water.

- Lower hot water heater thermostat to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

- Plug appliances into power strips and turn off when not in use.

- Put computers in standby or sleep mode instead of screen savers.

Sources: Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (http://www.bewaterwise.com), U.S. Department of Energy