Cost effective home insulation system

Cost effective home insulation system



Insulation is an effective method of conserving energy, which ultimately helps you save on your energy bills. A properly insulated house remains warm during winters and cool during summers, by restricting transfer of heat from inside to outside or vice versa. This also helps in reducing the dependence on electrical appliance to maintain optimum temperature inside house, thereby reducing the energy bills.



There are different types of insulations available in the market, such as fiberglass and cellulose, which have varying R-value. The amount of insulation required varies depending upon the place you live in and climate zone your house is located in. It is important that you get a proper analysis of your home done by a builder and accordingly install insulation. In case you are adding more insulation to your home, there is no need of insulation removal of what you already have. The R-values are cumulative and hence you can combine the R-value of the already existing one and the new installation to get optimum insulation, without Insulation Removal.



Recently the 'U.S. House of Representatives' passed the Home Star Energy Retrofit Act 2010, which aims at providing rebates to responsible homeowners who work towards energy efficient improvements. According to this act, which is informally referred to as Cash for Caulkers, residents who take initiative for retrofitting their homes with energy efficient models would be rewarded rebates. The Silver Star Program offers rebate between $1,000 to $1,500 for each measure taken; or $250 for every appliance. The maximum rebate awarded would not exceed $3,000 or 50 percent of the total cost of the entire project. In contrast, under the Gold Star program residents would get rebate for $3,000 on taking measures that would enhance the overall home energy efficiency by 20 percent. Furthermore, on additional improvement they would be eligible for additional $1,000 rebate. The overall rebate cannot exceed $8,000 or %0 percent of the overall cost of the project.



Under the Home Star, a national incentive program, spread over a period of two years would invest $6 billion in assisting citizens in saving on their energy bills, while lowering their carbon emissions and dependence on oil. This will help in conserving energy as well as fighting global warming. Apart from offering incentives to citizens, the Cash for Caulkers also aims at creating job opportunities for construction and manufacturing workers, affected by the recession.



Hence, being a responsible and environment friendly citizen, it is responsibility of each individual to take measures to increase energy conservation and make this planet a better place to live in.