The many benefits of proper home insulation are surprising.

Insulation increases comfort.

Heat naturally flows from a warm to a cool place. As a result, many poorly insulated homes end up heating attics or even losing heat to the outside. Same goes for summer, but in the reverse. The heat from the outside naturally flows into the air conditioned home. Insulation helps hinder this natural process, thereby keeping a home warm in winter and cool in summer, while lowering energy bills.

Insulation saves you money.

You pay a lot of money to condition the air in your home through your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system (HVAC). Poor insulation allows that conditioned air to escape your home, while letting outside air in, which means you are wasting a lot of money on inefficient heating and cooling.

Insulation protects the environment.

• 12% of your carbon footprint consists of your use of electricity
• 15% of your carbon footprint consists of your use of gas, oil, and coal
• 50% to 70% of the energy used by your home consists of heating and cooling

If homes across the world were properly insulated, it would take just 10 years to see a reduction of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere totaling more than 293.5 billion pounds, according to a study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health.

Insulation is good for your health.

The Harvard School of Public Health estimated that if every family in the United States properly insulated their homes, there would be:

• 110,000 less sick days every year
• 240 less premature deaths every year
• 6,500 less asthma attacks every year

Insulation increases the value of your home.

An Energy Pulse Survey revealed that 86% of people living in the United States would choose an energy-efficient home over a home that has poor energy efficiency. In other words, the insulation and other energy efficient features in a house could be a deal breaker—or a deal maker—when in the market for a new home.