Insulation can be a great investment for your home. It will help you save on energy bills and make your house a more comfortable place to live.
Without proper insulation, a typical home loses 15% of its heating and cooling energy. This can add up to huge bills and unnecessary wear and tear on your furnace and air conditioner.
1. Reduced Energy Bills
One of the biggest reasons your energy bills might skyrocket in winter (or summer) is because you’re using more heating and cooling equipment than you need to. Proper insulation can help reduce this energy waste, making your home more efficient and comfortable while keeping your energy bill a little lower.
Insulation works by disrupting the flow of heat between spaces, which helps prevent unwanted heat transfer from hot areas to cold ones. This means less of your precious energy is wasted, allowing you to cut down on electricity consumption and potentially save a significant amount of money over time.
It also improves acoustics by reducing sound transfers between rooms, helping to keep your home more quiet and pleasant. This is especially important if you live in an area that experiences a lot of traffic noise or nearby construction sites.
The good news is that most newer homes are better insulated than older buildings thanks to the higher standards set by building codes in many countries. However, it’s possible that even those newly constructed homes could benefit from the addition of more insulation to help reduce their energy use and energy bills.
A well-insulated home with a good air seal reduces energy loss by up to 50%. This allows you to rely on heating and cooling systems with much smaller capacity, which can significantly decrease your energy bills and carbon footprint.
2. Increased Comfort
Insulation creates a barrier to heat loss in winter and cooling gain in summer, making your home more comfortable for you and your family. In addition, insulation reduces drafts and noise from outside for a quieter environment.
Poorly insulated homes waste up to 30% of the energy they use. Air leaks through window frames, doors and gaps in the attic or basement can lead to increased energy bills year after year. In addition, a poorly insulated home can also increase the strain on heating and air conditioning systems, leading to unnecessary wear and tear and early breakdowns.
With proper home insulation, you can save money while increasing your comfort level. In the past, if your house was not properly insulated you might feel cold in some rooms while feeling warm in others due to inconsistent temperatures between rooms. With insulation, the consistent temperatures will allow you to keep your furnace and AC running less often, saving you both money and reducing the stress on your system.
The materials used to manufacture insulation can be made with eco-friendly ingredients. Many are made from recycled newspapers treated with a natural chemical, or with foam that is formaldehyde free. This helps conserve non-renewable resources and lowers the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, lowering the risk of acidic rain or global warming.
3. Reduced Carbon Footprint
In homes with cavity walls (two walls with an air gap in between) it’s possible to fit insulation to reduce energy consumption. This helps keep houses warm in winter and cool in summer, reducing fuel use and the associated carbon emissions.
Bradford glasswool insulation products also improve acoustics, dampening unwanted noise transfer between rooms and outside. They’re made from recycled materials and aren’t formulated with harmful chemicals like formaldehyde, making them better for you and for the environment.
Depending on the type of insulation used, it can also have a lower embodied carbon than other insulation products. For example, the KPMB study found blown cellulose had the lowest embodied carbon compared to common insulation materials, due to its low energy intensity to manufacture and credit for carbon storage.
Not only does insulating buildings reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions, it can also help limit climate change. It’s a cost-effective way to help preserve non-renewable natural resources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect against global warming. In fact, a report by Shannon Global Energy Solutions documented that by adding insulation to 48 fittings in an industrial plant, they saved over 444 tons of CO2. This is the equivalent to taking 115 cars off the road for a year!1
4. Easier Maintenance
Insulation is long-lasting and doesn’t need regular replacement like other common insulation materials such as fiberglass or cellulose. This means you will spend less on maintenance and will continue to reap the energy savings that come with proper insulation.
A home’s insulating levels are crucial to its overall comfort and efficiency. In fact, studies show that a well-insulated house will save a detached home around PS180 a year in energy bills, saving around 290kg of CO2.
Upgrading your home’s insulation is a simple and cost-effective way to make your home more comfortable and reduce your carbon footprint. Insulation also helps to prevent unwanted air movement, which is a huge contributor to energy loss.
By sealing any air leaks and ensuring your attic space is properly insulated, you can expect to see significant energy savings, which will pay for itself in no time at all. In addition, insulating your home will help to keep it healthier and prevent a number of health issues including asthma, allergies, respiratory conditions and more. In fact, studies have shown that people who live in insulated homes spend 110,000 fewer sick days each year. This is due to reduced exposure to pollutants, dust and other irritants.