HOW INSULATING YOUR HOME SAVES
MONEY
Heating and cooling your home
accounts for about 50 percent to 70 percent of the energy used in your home.
Unless your home was built as an energy-efficient home, adding insulation will
probably reduce your utility bills. Even a small amount of insulation–if
properly installed–can reduce energy costs dramatically.
You should insulate all areas of your
home. Insulation priorities include your attic, including the attic access
door, under floors above unheated basements or crawl spaces, and on the edges
of concrete slabs. Your options for insulating existing walls are somewhat
limited. However, if you are remodeling or residing your home, use the amounts
of insulation recommended for new construction. Figure 1 shows you where to insulate
and also contains the range of recommended R-values for each of those areas in
your house. The R-value changes because of the type of heat you use and where
you live. It also changes between new and existing homes. To find the
recommended R-value for the area of the country you live in, contact your local
electric company or gas company. You can also find the recommended R-value by
zip code and heat source at the Department of Energy Web site,
www.eren.doe.gov.
It's interesting to note that the greatest
energy savings come from the first inch of insulation installed. You can add
more insulation to increase your savings, but a small amount of insulation is
almost a must for your home to be comfortable. Keep in mind that for insulation
to work properly the air spaces in the insulation must be maintained. Packing
too much insulation into an area will reduce the effectiveness of the
insulation.
Savings from wall insulation are
almost equal to those you'll get from ceiling insulation.
You can further increase your energy
savings, up to 10 percent, by plugging any air leaks prior to insulating.
Obvious air leaks can be found around doors, windows, fireplaces and chimneys.
Some not-so-obvious air leaks can be found around electrical switches and
outlets, pull-down attic stairs, pipes, and behind bathtub and shower stall
units. These leaks are often much greater than the obvious ones. However,
taking care of these leaks alone cannot do the job–you must also have
insulation.