Insulate and Air Seal Your Home

Summary: Airsealing, Insulation

Description

If you live in an older home, the insulation in your walls may not meet modern energy efficiency standards. An older home most likely has around 250% more air leakage than a home built today. Cold air sweeping into your home makes it uncomfortable and expensive to heat. Properly insulating your home helps reduce the money and energy you may be wasting. This may also apply to poorly constucted new homes.  

To learn more, click “Steps To Take” and "Deep Dive" on the tabs above.

Deep Dive

How can you tell if your walls are properly insulated and air sealed? 

You can find out with a no-cost  virtual or in-home energy assessment. An in-home energy assessment includes infrared thermography, which measures surface temperatures to detect where your home is losing heat.

Are there any financial incentives available?

Hudson Light & Power Department (HLPD) does not offer incentives for air sealing and insulation. However, HLPD does offer rebates for installing heat pumps and hot water heat pumps. For those residents who use gas, there are MassSave incentives.  Mass Save. Also, using the Rewiring America Calculator you my be able to find federal incentives. 

How else can I improve my energy efficiency?

There are many more energy-efficient improvements you can make beyond insulation and air-sealing.

1. Replace upper-level recessed light fixtures with insulated ones.
2. Install a draft stopper for your chimney.
3. If you do a blower door test, do air sealing where leaks are indicated.  
4. Weather strip or replace drafty windows.
5. Add heat recovery ventilation to improve air quality and preheat fresh air entering your home.

Steps to Take

Step 1: Sign up for a free home energy assessment. Hudson Light & Power Department outsources this work to Energy New England. Both in-home and virtual appointments are available.

Step 2: Schedule air sealing and insulation installation with a local company.