Anyone who has lived in Arizona for even a small length of time knows that it can get very, very hot during the summer months. During those summer months it also costs significantly more to keep your home a comfortable temperature than any other time of year. This results in high costs on cooling bills. But you could also be paying more to cool your home than necessary if you do not have sufficient insulation in your attic. With Arizona’s extreme temperatures, proper insulation could save as much as 40-60% on utility bills each month. While many do not want to invest in their attic, a place they spend very little time, it can actually make the whole home more comfortable and can lower monthly energy bills. Many professionals will tell you that there are thousands upon thousands of homes that are under insulated in Arizona, particularly if you own an older home. Even small percentages of missing insulation can results in greatly reduced insulation benefits as well as much higher energy costs. With this in mind, it can be a big money saver to find out if you have sufficient insulation and, if not, invest in adding insulation to your attic.
To begin investigating whether or not you have proper insulation in your attic a great place to start is the Energy Star website. Their website will give homeowners a good idea how much insulation is needed in each state based on climate. But, to the untrained professional if still may be hard to determine whether your current insulation is sufficient. An inspection by a professional can determine your R value (the rating given to insulation and it is quality/effectiveness) and do a more in depth inspection to see if there are specific areas of heat gain or loss, which can show where more insulation is needed. Along with insulation, another thing that will need to be examined is whether or not your attic has proper ventilation to allow heat to escape. Proper inspection will also include a plan, if it is determined you need increased insulation, for a cost effective solution to remedy the problem. By having proper insulation in your attic it will decrease the demand on your cooling system. If your air conditioning has ever gone out on a 115 degree day you know it is both miserably uncomfortable and incredibly expensive to either repair or replace your cooling system. An energy efficiency inspection by a professional will likely cost you only a few hundred dollars but could save you thousands down the road.
In a time where everyone is trying to save some money, it is important that we look first to our own home to see if we are spending unnecessary amounts on money. Not only will quality attic insulation make your home more comfortable and lower utility bills, but it will be an added incentive to any prospective buyers should you ever decide to sell your home. If you invest in a proper energy efficiency inspection this will also be a great selling point for potential buyers as they will know that the home they are looking to buy has been properly inspected. By getting an inspection you can make any necessary changes, save a lot of money, and have peace of mind that you are not overspending on unnecessary energy use each month.