Many homes have leaks in their envelope, and insulation can make a significant difference to energy bills. According to the EPA, homeowners can save on average 15% on heating and cooling costs by air sealing and adding insulation in their attics, floors over crawl spaces and basement rim joists.
Insulation is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve a building’s energy efficiency, and it can pay for itself in under a year. It also reduces greenhouse gas emissions and makes a building more comfortable.
Reduced Energy Bills
One of the most important reasons to install insulation is because it can significantly reduce your energy bills. It reduces the amount of energy required to heat and cool your home, so you’ll use less fossil fuel and spend a lot less on your utility bills.
Upgrading your insulation along with air sealing can save you 15% on your heating and cooling costs each year*. It’s a smart investment that will pay for itself many times over, and you’ll feel much more comfortable in your home.
Insulation works by preventing the transfer of heat in and out of your home. It inhibits the flow of hot air in winter and keeps cooler indoor air in during summer. This lowers the load on your HVAC system, so it doesn’t have to work as hard, and it helps keep your energy bills low.
Most homes are under-insulated, especially older homes. Modern fiberglass insulation wasn’t invented until 1932, and most homes built before that used anything from horse hair to newspaper for insulation.
Sealing air leaks and adding insulation are the two most cost-effective things you can do to improve your home’s energy efficiency. Many utilities offer rebate programs to help cover the installation costs for homeowners, and some even vet local contractors to make the process easier for you.
Increased Home Value
Insulation prevents energy loss by sealing air leaks in the house. Heating and cooling costs account for 50 to 70 percent of household electricity consumption, so boosting insulation is an effective way to cut energy bills and reduce CO2 emissions.
Quality insulation helps keep the home comfortable all year round by preventing heat from escaping in winter and air from blowing in during summer. It also improves acoustics by dampening sound transfer between rooms and between floors.
Insulating your home can increase the value of it, especially if you are looking to sell in the future. Potential buyers will be attracted to the low energy bills and comfort of a well-insulated house.
The type of insulation you choose will depend on your climate and energy needs. Some products are better suited for colder environments as they work to prevent heat from escaping, while others focus on keeping air in the home.
The energy-saving benefits of insulating your home continue for the life of the house, reducing maintenance and energy costs. A quality insulation system provides an excellent return on investment, often paying for itself in less than 6 months. It also reduces carbon dioxide emissions and prevents greenhouse gas formation, preserving non-renewable resources and lowering the risk of acid rain and global warming. A good insulation system will also help conserve water. It can protect pipes from freezing in winter and help prevent condensation, reducing the likelihood of costly damage to walls and ceilings.
Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Adding insulation to a home is a low-hanging fruit when it comes to greenhouse gas reduction. This is because it reduces energy usage and therefore reduces the demand for fossil fuel or other carbon-intensive forms of energy in order to keep homes warm and functioning properly.
It is also worth noting that some insulation materials have significantly lower embodied carbon than other building products, even with the use of blowing agents with high characteristic GWP like those found in open-cell spray foam and some extruded polystyrene or polyisocyanurate foam insulation products. This is because insulation materials like cellulose, sheep’s wool, and straw are biogenic materials that regularly undergo photosynthesis and sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
In addition to reducing carbon emissions through the use of more sustainable insulation products, homeowners who add insulation can often take advantage of local energy efficiency programs run by their utility. This can be in the form of tax credits, rebates where the utility vets local contractors to do the work, or even programs that help cover the cost of installation.
While installing insulation may require some up-front costs for personal protective equipment (like gloves, masks, and respirators), these investments can be more than offset by the energy savings and reduced demand on the heating system over time. In fact, according to a study conducted by ICF Consulting, bringing all single-family homes up to standard with insulation could result in a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions that is comparable to taking nearly 40 million cars off the roads each year.
Increased Comfort
Insulation slows the movement of heat from hot areas to cooler ones, allowing your home to stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer. This keeps your family comfortable year round without the need to crank up the HVAC system or invest in fans.
In addition, insulation helps reduce noise in a house. Bradford glasswool insulation products help to reduce unwanted noise transfer between rooms. It also reduces condensation in ductwork and prevents the growth of mould on cold surfaces in homes with insulated walls, ceilings and roofs.
A poorly insulated house loses between 20% and 30% of its energy through air leakage around windows, doors, floors and electrical wires. The leaking air forces heating and cooling systems to work harder to regulate the temperature of the home, driving up energy bills. With insulation in the attic and floors over crawl spaces, basements or under a floor, air leakage is reduced, allowing heating and cooling systems to run more efficiently, lowering utility costs.
In most cases, the money spent on insulating your home will be recouped in lower energy bills within a few years. The savings continue for the life of your home. In addition, insulation increases your home’s comfort and resale value. In fact, a well-insulated home can increase its value by up to $20 for every $1 reduction in annual utility bills.