The growing importance of energy conservation, coupled with rising prices, from oil to food to clothing, even natural gas and clean energy, has generated an ambition across America to find ways to save money and energy while reducing negative impacts on our planet.  Most of us are motivated simply by the benefit of saving a few bucks everywhere we can, and every little bit helps.

In part one of this energy saving secrets series, we examine the idea of telecommuting, or working from home. The beauty of this concept is the benefits it provides to both the employer and the employee.

It seems that anyone in the workforce would agree working from home is a luxury. And emfor the most part, it is. But more than the convenience factors, telecommuting has a much greater impact and it’s growing in popularity as a result.

For the employee, working from home means no gas expense, or carbon footprint from driving to and from work every day.  This represents the greatest savings and largest positive impact on our planet.

For the employer, a single worker who telecommutes rather than working in the office means one less cubicle or office to illuminate, one fewer consumer of supplies, one fewer workstation consuming energy and one less car in the parking lot. These represent the greatest benefits to the employer.

Combine all of these benefits over the long term, and the choice sounds like a no brainer: More people need to telecommute.  Think about even just one of the minor benefits, such as one fewer car in the parking lot.  If the employer needed less space for employees to park, he or she could likely move to a smaller, cheaper, more energy efficient workspace where parking wouldn’t be a concern.

But while it is clear that everyone reaps significant benefits from workers who telecommute, it may not always be the possible (or practical) thing to do.  In most cases, an employee or employer can quickly assess if telecommuting is even a viable possibility.  But there are many factors to consider that should be evaluated before dismissing the work-from-home concept.

Granted, the employers in this scenario are the toughest to convert. Many companies continue to resist the tele-working concept despite proven beneficial impacts on the planet and our pocketbooks.

Even Inc.com suggests telecommuting as a sound, practical way to save money for a company whose model affords for employees working from home.