What is the payback if I add more insulation?
Gene writes from Florida: “I live in Melbourne and my house is 1510 Sq Feet. The ceilings are generally 9 ft 4 inches high, but in some rooms run to 12 feet. The house has 19 inches of blown in insulation in the ceiling. The house is new construction built in 2006. The heat & air conditioning is by an electrically powered heat pump & heater. I would appreciate an answer to the following question: What might my payback be if I add 12″ or 18″ of additional insulation?” Answer: The 19 inches of insulation you have is already at the recommended level for a home in Florida. Adding the amounts of insulation you ask about does not make financial sense because it would take a relatively long time to recover the cost of the additional insulation. It would be far better to put that money into other energy upgrades, like switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs anywhere possible. A friend of mine switched out about 20 light bulbs in his home and is now saving about $10-$15 per month. I sugges
