Energy Calculator

Use this calculator to estimate the cost savings and greenhouse gas reduction you can achieve by upgrading your insulation. You may be surprised how quickly cellulose insulation will pay for itself.

Note: This calculator is a useful place to start to estimate how much money you may save on your heating bills by insulating where there is no insulation now, or by adding or replacing insulation where there is some already.

We can’t guarantee that you’ll save exactly what the calculator suggests. You may save even more, or you may save somewhat less, because there are many factors involved. However, this is a good place to start to get an idea of how insulating your home or business will help you control high energy costs.

Enter/Adjust Values Below
Area to be upgraded		Square Feet	Enter the surface area of the space where insulation is to be upgraded.
Heating Degree Days		HDD (Fahrenheit)	Find Heating Degree Days for your area
Current R-Value		US R-Value	Help Finding R-Values
New Total R-Values		US R-Value	Help Finding R-Values
Pick your fuel type below, then adjust fuel cost and furnace efficiency as necessary.
Natural Gas Fuel Oil Propane Electricity			Percent

	Click the ‘Calculate’ button at left to see your savings
$ Savings per year		Dollars	Dollar savings in fuel costs for the first year.
$ Savings for 10 years		Dollars	Dollar savings in fuel costs for the first 10 years (assuming a 10% increase in fuel cost each year.)
Greenhouse Gas Reduction		lbs per year	If you heat with electricity, it is assumed it is generated in a coal fired power plant.

It’s worth noting that cellulose insulation saves money on cooling bills, too, and these savings are NOT provided by this calculator.

If you are starting with an uninsulated wall, ceiling, attic, or floor, it is important to make a good estimate of the current R-value.

Greenhouse gas emissions are high for electricity because the calculation assumes it is generated in a coal-fired power plant. Coal plants are only about 30% efficient, and coal is a very high-carbon fuel. Approximately 50% of the power that is generated in the United States is from coal-fired power plants, which account for about 80% of all U.S. electric power generation CO2 emissions.

The current push to biomass fueled power plants would actually increase greenhouse gas reductions achieved by adding insulation, because biomass incineration generally emits much higher levels of CO2 than the typical coal-fired plant.