5 Ways to Reduce Your Electric Bill with Insulation
If you are here on this page then you most certainly know that good insulation can be a lifesaver, or at least an electricity bill reducer, for sure. There is no doubt investing in insulation is a smart decision looking long term because the amount of energy you will have to create in order to heat up or cool down the interior of your home will drastically decrease.
And yes, doing proper energy home insulation, all the way through is the best way to save money, and it will pay off the most, but it’s also about little things you don’t need to hire a professional to do for you. Below is a list of great energy-saving tips, and after that, we are talking about the insulation itself and whether or not you need a new and improved one in your home.
Energy saving tips
Invest in windows
The first step towards saving some energy is to invest in your windows. In case you are building a new house or you are just changing windows in your current place make sure to purchase at least “energy star” windows that can guarantee the minimum standard when it comes to energy efficiency. But a much better option are double-pane windows given they would be a huge step up in the energy-saving approach.
Seal doors
In case your home doors aren’t the best quality and they do allow significant airflow, you simply need to do something about it. Using weather stripping as DIY insulation, and placing it all around the door to create a tight seal is the minimum investment and effort you can make. However, it would be better to replace these doors with ones with foam insulation cores, which will add more to the electric bill reduction in the end.
Use carpets
It may sound too obvious and too basic, but insulating floors with a simple thing like a carpet is just what you need to do in order to improve old house insulation. The fact is carpets have the ability to contain the heat in the floor area, and those made of thick wool are the best choice you can make. They are all about the feeling you get when you place your feet on the ground, but the truth is they do contribute to home insulation.
Invest in curtains
When you think about energy-efficiency insulation you must think about curtains and shades. It’s because they are very effective in stopping the entrance of direct sunlight inside your home if drawn over the window. That way they keep the interior cooler during summer months and save you on electricity you would spend for air conditioning. And if you invest in solar curtains, then you really did a huge thing for your budget. Some research shows that solar curtains have the ability to reduce heat gain by 33% during summer by simply reflecting solar radiation.
Insulate every inch of your home
And finally, to really make an impact regarding power insulation and make more room in your budget for other things than electrical bills you need to improve the insulation of your interior space. Pay attention to all the crannies and nooks and if they are exposed to heating or cooling loss seal them one way or another. Spray foam can be an ideal option in this matter. And new insulation in the attic can significantly affect the overall insulation outcome.
What is Insulation?
Now the big question - what is insulation exactly? Insulation is a material you add to your inside or outside walls with an intention of preventing heat loss or heat gain from the object, depending on the season.
So insulation is practically a blocker for heat transfer. It will prevent the warmth you created inside the house to leave the room easily and therefore lower the temperature of your home, and in summer it will make sure the cool climate you managed to gain with air conditioning stays put and constant.
Also, a well-insulated house will make sure the temperature from the outside doesn’t breach the interior, or at least not without a fight. And if you wonder how exactly this can affect your energy bills the answer is pretty logical - the insulation makes sure you don’t use your cooling or heating system more than it’s necessary.
How much could you save by insulating your home?
The numbers say this - almost half of our home energy bills go on heating and cooling systems, that’s according to the US Department of Energy. And EPA claims you can save up to around 15% annually on heating and cooling bills if you upgrade your insulation right away.
That’s 15% each year, think about it. And that’s if you only reinsulate the attic, the basement of the house, and the crawl space in mild climate states. Approximately that’s around $200 in savings each year. But if you decide to seriously upgrade your house insulation the numbers will only go higher. And in colder climates, the savings will be up by 20% more.
But there’s another thing. Investing in insulation means increasing the overall market value of your home. And that’s a proven fact. Some studies show that if you upgrade the insulation in your attic by adding fiberglass panels you will most certainly get at least a break-even return on this investment if you look at the assessments of the current real estate market. So not only will you save up on your electricity bills but you will end up earning for insulating your place when and if you decide to sell it.
Do you need new insulation?
At this point, you must be wondering if your home needs some adjustments or if you should invest in roof insulation or garage insulation. Well, we have not evaluated your estate, but the answer is probably yes. The North American Insulation Manufacturers Association established that almost 90 percent of family homes with a single family living in it in the United States are not insulated enough. So according to statistics, you most likely belong to this majority of homeowners.
But to make sure you need new insulation you have to establish the exact type of your insulation, how thick it is, and what’s its R-value, and then compare these data to the ones recommended to your geographic location by the US Department of Energy.
The next step to establishing if you have a well-insulated house or if you need to invest in additional insulation is to pay attention to details. For example, see if there is a huge temperature shift when you walk from one room to another in your house. Or if your energy bills go up through the roof in months when you constantly use cooling and heating systems. Also, you should think about insulating your attic space if you see icicles hanging from your roof.
What type of insulation for crawl space, walls, and roof to put on
People usually always remember to insulate the walls and floor of their homes, but not the roof, not the crawl space, the basement and other non-central areas of the object. And that’s a big mistake, especially if you aspire to be extremely cost-effective regarding how much you spend on heating and cooling bills.
The truth is insulation is an investment, but there are all sorts of insulation materials you can use and they are not all easy on the budget. One option can be way more expensive than the other, but specific areas of the house ask for specific insulation materials. And it would be best to stick to these recommendations no matter what, because looking long term it will be the best decision for you and for your budget, trust us.
The attic is always the best place to start, and in order to insulate it properly we suggest using spray insulation foam. It is an ideal option for this inaccessible space, and it can close up all the potential cracks and holes in the roof area. It’s easy to apply but it would be best if it is done by a professional.
When it comes to crawling space, which indicates the space above and between floor joints, bubble wrap is a way to insulate it properly because this reflective material will not only insulate the space well but will reflect the heat and keep it inside the crawl area.
And then there are the exterior walls and walls that connect the heated and unheated space. Generally speaking, spray foam is a great option in this matter, more precisely foam board panels. They can custom fit the wall cavities and are very durable and reliable. Also, any sort of spray insulation helps create all air seals. Thai type of insulation is liquid when applied, but it expands and fills all the holes in the walls.
