Are you trying to keep your energy bills down? It’s definitely getting warmer—and you’re probably thinking of ways to save money without compromising your comfort. Perhaps you’re wondering how much money re-insulating can save you.
It’s difficult to determine exact numbers—many factors need to be considered, such as your climate, HVAC systems, etc.—but there are ways to get estimates online. And, of course, you can always talk to insulation professionals!
Determining Insulation Energy Savings
If you want to calculate savings using online tools, there are a couple tools for your use.
You can visit CIMA (Cellulose Insulation Manufacturers Association) online to calculate insulation savings. You can measure the financial impact of increasing your insulation performance by entering your data into the insulation calculator—the size of your house, the cost of your energy, etc. With the calculator, you can see what you would be saving this year and in the future!
Here’s another home energy saver tool. It calculates all your energy bills using your current rates and personal information, such as where you live, the number of your household members, what year your home was built, whether you have a basement or not, the type of HVAC system you have, etc. After filling in your data, you’ll get back your current yearly energy costs and how much you can potentially save with upgrades.
Maximizing Savings
In addition to installing attic insulation in Austin or replacing old wall insulation, there are things you can do to increase your savings and help keep your energy bills as low as possible:
- Talk to professionals: Some homeowners may be handy and perform many DIY projects around the house—but insulation installation shouldn’t be one of them. Installing insulation requires professional expertise to ensure it’s being completed correctly to help you save the most money.
- Air seal your home: A home that is properly insulated but not air sealed isn’t energy-efficient. Air leaks hinder the performance of your insulation, so your home should be both insulated and sealed. Caulking and weatherstripping are two common air sealing techniques.
- Be as energy-efficient as possible: You won’t be saving as much money as you could if your home is insulated but isn’t energy-efficient in other ways. For example, if your windows are old and leaky, your home still has energy-inefficient incandescent bulbs instead of CFL bulbs, etc., there is much potential for savings. There are a lot of ways to save energy (and money)—and combined with bigger ticket items like insulation and window replacement, they can help gain significant energy savings.
Austin, TX Area Insulation Installers
The question, “How much does insulation save?” doesn’t have one right answer—it depends on various factors (where you live, the age of your home, etc.). But you can get a pretty good estimate with online tools. Talking to a professional insulation company is the best course of action.
Hinkle Insulation installs insulation in homes throughout the Austin, Texas area and can help you with your needs, whether you need to re-insulate your attic or install more insulation in your walls. Contact us to learn more!
