By reducing the amount of air that leaks through the home's envelope, members can save money on their home’s energy costs and increase their home's comfort level.

Importance of Insulation & Air Sealing

Homes should be an oasis for all of us - a place to kick back and get comfortable. But there's no oasis of comfort when a home is too cold in winter or oppressively hot in the summer. That means it’s leaking air—and wasting money.

Air infiltration (or air penetration through the home's "envelope") is one of the main problems facing most homes. One of simplest ways to reduce your home’s heating and cooling costs– and improve comfort– involves installing proper insulation and air sealing. Doing so provides resistance to heat flow. The more heat flow resistance your insulation and air sealing provides, the lower your heating and cooling costs.

Heat flows naturally from a warmer to a cooler space. In winter, heat moves directly from heated living spaces to adjacent unheated attics, garages, basements, and even outdoors. It can also travel indirectly through interior ceilings, walls, and floors—wherever there is a difference in temperature. During the summer cooling season, the reverse takes place. Heat flows from the outdoors to the interior of a house.

To maintain comfort, heat lost in the winter must be replaced by your heating system. In summer, heat gained must be removed by your cooling system. Proper insulation and air sealing, though, decreases heat flow and reduces energy consumption and heating and cooling costs.

Adding insulation to your home? An R-value indicates insulation’s resistance to heat flow—a higher R-value means more effective insulation. Every type of insulation has a unique R-value depending on material, thickness, and density. Your ideal R-value depends on whether your home is new or existing, your heating fuel, and where you live.

For more information on insulation and air sealing, visit:
www.energystar.gov
www.touchstoneenergy.com/together-we-save
www.energysavers.gov


Federal Tax Credit

Click here to view the Energy Star's website for more information about the federal tax credit for insulation.