A lot of readers are wondering how well our insulation projects have helped in lowering our sky high heating bills. Mid-winter is a good time to address these questions, since our bills are finally starting to show some long-term improvement.
Background:
We moved into our house a little over two years ago. When we showed up, there wasn’t an ounce of insulation in any of the walls. The attic space had some blown-in insulation and that was about it. Hot water pipes weren’t wrapped, cracks and gaps weren’t filled, and holes in the plaster walls meant you could actually feel gusts of wind come through from across the room. It was not an ideal situation for a climate that is arctic for 3 out of 4 seasons.

What we’ve done to lower our energy bills:

• The first winter, we did damage control and quick fixes. We wrapped hot water pipes and the hot water heater with insulation and filled every crack and gap we could find with caulk, Great Stuff, or fiberglass. We also repaired most of the holes in the walls.
• When we remodeled the kitchen, we put insulation in the new back 1/2 of the room. We also replaced a plexiglass window (in an exterior door!) with glass.
• This past fall, we filled about 1/4 of the outer walls and a few ceiling spaces with blown-in insulation.
• We came up with a creative solution for making the french doors in the kitchen a little more energy efficient.
• We replaced 4 broken windows in our cupola; they had been boarded up, but we still must have lost quite a bit of heat from them.
• When we gutted the stairwell, bathroom, and craft room, we put insulation in all of the outer walls and ceilings

I’d estimate that we now have about 1/2 the house insulated the way it should be. And the verdict is in: it’s paying off.

We’re on the “budget plan”, where they project how much your bills should be each month and then charge you an average price over the year. It’s supposed to be consistent, but it does vary somewhat. They readjust it every now and then when energy prices skyrocket or your usage changes drastically.

The Results:
Two years ago, our budget plan payments were about 25% higher than they are right now. Gas prices have gone up in that time. That’s a whole lot of money every month that is staying in our pockets – enough to cover the initial investments we’ve made in materials. To recup up-front costs over the course of two years is pretty impressive!

We also notice that the insulated rooms stay noticeably warmer than the non-insulated ones, even when they are not closed off from the rest of the house.

The french door plexiglass solution seems to be working since we rarely get condensation on the glass (which we always had, even with three pairs of curtains on them) and can’t feel any draft from them now. Best of all, we get tons of sunshine (and the warmth that comes with it) during the day.
Verdict:
We’ll keep insulating our walls and ceilings, since it’s definitely worth the effort!