If twerking and foam fingers are not how you rang in the new year (ala Miley Cyrus), don't abandon the 21-year-old completely because she may be able to help cut your energy bills this winter.
No, music's newest bad girl and self-proclaimed provocateur is not likely to start tossing $100 bills from atop the Empire State Building, but read on for the tie-in.
According to a recent announcement by the Energy Information Administration (EIA), not only can 90 percent of homeowners look forward to higher heating bills through March, but it also turns out that the average price of electricity hit or matched record highs throughout last year.
"Americans now pay 42 percent more for electricity than they did a decade ago," CNS News reported.
Whatever your thoughts on the Wrecking Ball singer, read on to find out how she can help beat the EIA odds, as well as other cost-saving energy tips.
• Forgetfulness is not an excuse. There has long been a debate about whether unplugging computers and appliances will save you money on your energy bill, but consider this: leaving these devices plugged in (as well as DVRs and gaming consoles) when not in use sucks up to $10 billion annually in wasted energy. To combat this, you can install an inexpensive energy-saving wall outlet that will automatically shut them all down.
• Be shrewd about ceiling fans. This goes under the heading of "Did You Know?": "[Running fans] counterclockwise will push hot air up in the summer, and clockwise will trap heat inside to keep your rooms warmer during cooler months," notes U.S. News & World Report.
• Check the attic. Homeowners are practically throwing money out the window if there's not what Jason Joplin, program manager of the Center for the Advancement of Roofing Excellence, calls "a continual flow of air to protect the efficiency of your attic's insulation." Working against that ideal? Excess moisture buildup that clings to your roof's underside in winter from seemingly benign sources—e.g., appliances, showers, and cooking vapors—before ultimately soaking the insulation when the condensed moisture falls.
Joplin's pick for heading off the problem is the Cobra Ridge Vent by GAF (www.gaf.com), North America's largest roofing manufacturer, because of its ability to "naturally promote ridge ventilation without electricity."
• Play pop and rock music to your solar panels. If music can soothe the savage beast, playing Miley Cyrus' songs can also help save money for those homeowners who have already gone green. According to new research out of Queen Mary University of London and Imperial College London, the music's "high frequencies and pitch cause vibrations that enhance energy generation in solar cells." A British news outlet only mentioned Cyrus, however, your own favorite artist can also help you save.
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