Heating, cooling and water heating make up more than half of the typical energy bill in a single-family home, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. If you’re looking to reduce your energy bills, improving home insulation is a great way to do it. Homes that have updated house insulation are more efficient, save money and help the environment, all at the same time.

Most homes have different types of insulation installed as they’re built. However, many existing structures need more home insulation as the years pass. By making improvements to your house insulation, you can realize true cost savings, and possibly even earn an insulation rebate! Efficient home insulation installation can also increase the value of your home.

Benefits of Home Insulation

House insulation is a barrier, often made of fiberglass or foam, which helps control the temperature of your home. Various types of insulation are used to stop air leaks, or keep duct work, plumbing, roofs and walls warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Home insulation can even keep the water in your hot water tank warmer for longer.

Some of the benefits of improving house insulation include:

• Government incentives, such as an insulation rebate
• Lower carbon footprint
• Lower utility bills.

In addition to lowering your utility costs, various types of insulation actually lower the load on local utility companies. Because of this, many state, local and federal governments have incentive programs to help offset the cost of improving home insulation. Some new homes, with effective insulation and other energy efficient features, can even be certified as ENERGY STAR homes by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Improving House Insulation: Where to Begin?

Many areas of your home can benefit from various types of insulation. Before you can begin improving your house insulation, you’ll need to identify these areas, which may include:

• Around windows and doors
• Duct work from the heater or air conditioner
• Hot water tank and plumbing
• Roof and walls of the home.

Each of these areas requires specific types of insulation with different installation processes. However, once installed, the cost savings can be realized fairly quickly, especially if you’re awarded an insulation rebate.

Draft testing and inspection of your current insulation will show you how much improvement you can expect with a house insulation upgrade. In order to make your home as energy-efficient as possible, choose types of insulation based on their R-value; higher R-values indicate better insulation capabilities.

Keep reading to learn about the different types of insulation and where they are most effective. Making the right house insulation choices will increase your home’s efficiency, as well as its value. A better understanding of how insulation works can help you make well-informed decisions and the best choices during the home insulation improvement process.