HOME INSULATION: REDUCING THE COST OF HOME HEATING

By Elaine Smith, Branch Manager
Upper Cumberland Area Better Business Bureau
November 12, 2003

To help you save money and get the most of your insulation dollars you
should know what to look for and how much insulation is needed for your
home.

The Federal Trade Commission suggests that when purchasing insulation, look
for the "R-value." "R" means resistance to heat flow. The higher the
R-value, the greater the insulation power. The R-value must be disclosed
for most insulation products. (Pipe and duct insulation are the exceptions,
although duct wrap is covered). For example, if you buy loose-fill
insulation power as loose-fill insulation with an R-value of 38 from company
B. You also can compare the R-value of one type of insulation to another,
such as loose-fill to blanket.

Several factors will affect the R-value your home needs:
1. Where you live - You will need a higher R-value if you live in the
Northeast than if you live in Southern California.
2. How your home is built. For example, is it a single-level or multi-level
structure? Do you have cathedral ceilings? Is there a basement or is your
home built on slab?
3. How you heat and cool your home - Do you have a furnace, a central air
conditioner or a heat pump?

It is more efficient to use insulation with higher R-values in the attic and
in rooms with cathedral ceilings than in wood frame walls and basements or
crawl spaces with walls. For help in determining what R-values your home
needs, contact the Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy Network, which is a clearinghouse of energy-efficiency information.
You can also contact your state energy office, local building department, or
your gas or electric company. They can tell you how to conduct an energy
audit to help detect waste and gauge the efficiency of your current heating
system. Your utility company may offer free orlow cost energy audits, or
you can conduct your own.

How do you know what R-value you are getting? The FTC is repsonsible for
enforcing the R-value rule. The Rule ensures that you get information about
the R- value of yor insulation before you buy it, have it istalled, or buy a
new home. Manufactures must label their packages of insulation; installers
and retailers must provide fact sheets; and new home sellers must include
this information in sales contracts.

As always when in doubt check it out with your local Better Business Bureau
of Middle Tennessee at 18 N Jefferson St., Cookeville or call 931-520-0008.