On average, it's estimated that homeowners can save up to 20% on energy bills with the right amount of attic insulation. No matter where you live in North America, proper attic insulation helps reduce overall wear and tear on your heating and cooling system. In the US, 49% of a household's energy bill is spent on heating and cooling. One of the main reasons your energy bills can increase during the winter months (and also in summer, when the air conditioning is on) is because your home isn't properly insulated.
A well-insulated home is a safe way to help keep your energy bill manageable, and a home that saves energy is also better for the environment. So how does home insulation reduce energy bills? Let's take a look. A well-sealed, insulated attic can make a real difference to your energy bills and to the comfort of your home. Considering how high energy bills are these days, now is a great time to upgrade your home with a cost-effective project, such as sealing and insulating your attic. The EPA estimates that homeowners can save an average of 15% on heating and cooling costs (or an average of 11% on total energy costs) by sealing their homes with air and adding insulation to attics, floors, tight spaces, and basements.
Homeowners can use the Department of Energy's zip code insulation program to determine how much insulation to add and where to achieve recommended insulation levels for maximum energy efficiency. Its performance is measured with a number called the “R value” and, the higher the number, the better the resistance of the insulation to heat transfer, assuming it is properly installed. Any insulation that has been moved can simply be repositioned, but some homeowners may want to add additional insulation. An audit of your home can maximize the return on investment in home performance improvements, ensuring that the money you pay an insulation company to install insulation in your NH home brings you maximum value. Many home maintenance contractors tout the importance of attic insulation and often leave the lower parts of the house unattended, but it can be just as beneficial for homeowners to properly insulate their basement.
It's also a good idea to have insulation installed by a professional to avoid problems related to humidity and air quality, as well as recoil, a dangerous situation that can occur if you have combustion appliances and you seal your house too tightly. Curt Rich, president and CEO of the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association says that homes can save between 10 and 45% on energy bills each year if they place more insulation in their attics or floors and seal up visible cracks. Just as wearing a hat in winter keeps you warm, repairing or adding insulation to the top of your house can help prevent heat from escaping. Recent studies estimate that, in general, there is at least a balanced return on investment with respect to the value of your home after installing fiberglass insulation in the attic. It's true that hot air rises due to convection, so you'll want to seal and insulate well the roof of the upper floor that joins the attic space. The zip code insulation program also provides estimates of insulation costs and a rate of return on your investment. You'll want to install insulation in the space between and above the floor joists to protect the living spaces below.
Ensuring that your attic is well sealed and properly insulated is one of the most important things you can do as part of a home improvement with ENERGY STAR to help make your energy choices count for a clean energy future. In addition, you'll find information on how to measure your levels, choose the right type of insulation, and hire an insulation contractor. Cellulose can be installed as a dense package or as a loose filler, and can be injected into almost any part of the house, whether to replace the insulation of existing walls or attics, etc. This means that it makes economic sense to insulate the entire building envelope - that part of the house connected to the outside - and to heat ducts in unheated spaces, not just in attics. In conclusion, proper attic insulation is essential for reducing energy bills while keeping your home comfortable all year round. It's important to evaluate existing insulation levels before deciding whether additional insulation is needed or not.
An audit of your home can maximize return on investment in home performance improvements while ensuring that money spent on installing new insulation brings maximum value.
