MADISON, Wis. -- The price of fuel is making utility bills soar but a new geothermal system could help savings soar while going green.

Its takes a little drilling and uses a simple principal.

If people dig down a few feet, the temperature stays a constant 50 to 60 degrees. After holes are drilled, workers slide cooper tubing 70 feet into the ground.

When it warms up, the pipes move heat out of the house and into the earth. When its cold the process reverses, reducing costs by up to 70 percent, WISC-TV reported.

"Certainly I feel good about reducing the carbon footprint but the main reason was saving money," said Jack Kouloheris, a geothermal customer.

The systems aren't cheap but at today's fuel prices, the $30,000 to $50,000 installation can pay for itself in as little as seven years.