Most homeowners in the greater New York City area understand how insulation helps keep your home warm in the winter by preventing indoor heat from escaping your house. But what many don’t realize is insulation can also provide significant benefits in the summer.
If you’re already too hot in your home or spending more money than you’d like to keep it cool, here are a few reasons why upgrading your home insulation and air sealing will help with summer comfort issues and high energy bills.
1. Insulation Lowers Your Cooling Bills
In the summer, air conditioning can account for a significant part of your electricity bill, whether you have central AC or window units. Anything you can do to run your AC less will save you money, but in the middle of a New York heatwave, many homeowners (rightly) feel they have no choice but to keep the AC on.
But upgraded insulation can help! More insulation in your attic, basement, and the exterior walls of your home will not only slow heat loss in the winter, but it will also slow heat gain in the summer. By keeping outdoor temperatures out of your home, your air conditioner won’t have to run as frequently to maintain a comfortable indoor temperature, saving you money.
2. Your Cooling System Will Last Longer with Better Insulation
Whether you have window units or central air conditioning, having to replace your cooling system can be very expensive. No cooling system will last forever, but in general, the less wear and tear your system has to endure and the better it’s maintained, the longer it will be able to keep your home comfortable.
With proper insulation and air sealing, you’ll run your AC less often every summer, which means:
- Fewer breakdowns (and expensive AC repair bills)
- More summers using the same AC unit before having to replace it
- More efficient operation (especially when combined with regular AC tune-ups)
3. Proper Insulation Keeps Your Home Cooler
Upgraded insulation and air sealing keeps your home cooler in the summer, whether you have any kind of AC or not! Because insulation slows the transfer of heat in and out of your home (out during the winter, in during the summer), a properly-insulated home will be naturally cooler in the summer because it will take longer for that outside heat to find its way inside.
Air sealing, which is a part of NYS Energy Audits’ insulation process, also keeps your home cooler in the summer by closing up air leaks that allow hot air to enter and cool air to escape.
4. Insulation Increases the Value of Your Home
Insulation upgrades and other home improvements that increase the energy efficiency of your home are smart investments that provide both short-term and long-term benefits. In the short term, you’ll see lower monthly energy bills. In the long term, you can make your home more valuable!
Homebuyers are placing more and more value on homes with features that make them affordable to heat and cool, so if you decide to sell your home, your upgraded insulation will be a front-and-center selling point and excellent motivation for buyers to pay more.
5. A Well-Insulated Home is Better for Your Health—and the Environment!
Of course, there are benefits to new insulation that aren’t directly related to lower energy bills or indoor temperatures as well! Cellulose insulation is an effective insect repellent, and also acts as a fire retardant that can make your home safer in the event of a house fire. This insulation is environmentally friendly and made from recycled materials, so on top of reducing your energy waste, you can lower your home’s carbon footprint, too.
Contact NYS Energy Audits for a Cooler Summer Today—and See If You Qualify for Free Insulation Upgrades from EmPower NY!
The sooner you upgrade your home’s insulation and air sealing, the sooner you’ll see all of the many benefits this summer. NYS Energy Audits has been one of New York’s top insulation installers for the last 12 years, helping make thousands of homes more comfortable, healthier, and energy efficient in Brooklyn, Staten Island, Long Island, Queens, and the surrounding area. As we tell our customers, the work we do in a single day will last for decades!
Income-qualified New York homeowners can receive FREE insulation and air sealing upgrades through the EmPower program. NYS Energy Audits is the largest downstate contractor participating in this program—find out if you’re eligible today.
