It’s the time of the year in the Valley of the Sun when daily temperatures hover around 100 degrees or more. School is out, vacations are happening, and energy bills are rising. Rather than spend the summer struggling with sky-high energy bills, you can use your home’s insulation to summer-proof your house and lessen the burden of monthly utility bills. Insulation helps block heat and prevents it from mixing with cooler air being produced by air conditioners and evaporator coolers.
Insulation Tax Credits
Did you know that insulation was included with the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act for homeowner tax credits? Certain energy efficient updates including insulation starting January 1, 2023, can qualify for up to $1,200 for the tax year the improvements are made according to the I.R.S.
The tax credit equals 30% of the qualified energy efficiency improvements. The insulation and air sealing materials or systems must meet International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) standards in effect at the start of the year two years before installation.
Insulation and Heat
It may sound counterintuitive to add insulation in your home to protect against summer heat. Yet, the better insulated your house is, the more effective your air conditioning will be to cool down your home. Costly AC air will not be leaking outside and in the long run, insulation will reduce yearly energy costs.
Additional insulation can be added to keep indoor air inside from leaking outside. Areas to focus on would be ceilings, walls, crawlspaces, floors, and attics. Insulation can be very effective to moderate the temperature inside a home when combined with sealing gaps around doors and windows. The type of building materials used in your home will be important in determining the thickness of insulation used.
Insulation R-Values
Insulation is measured in the R-values per inch of compactness and thickness. It’s the measure of your home’s insulation to resist heat moving through it. The Valley of the Sun is in Zone 4 with a higher R-value for increased thermal performance of insulation ranging from R-25 to R-60 depending on the location in your home.
Bruce’s Insulation Knowledge
Bruce’s technicians can help you determine the areas and R-values where additional insulation may be needed to help keep the heat out and the cool air in. If you’d like to learn more about the tax credit benefits of adding additional insulation, call Bruce’s Air Conditioning & Heating today at 480-968-5652 to schedule an appointment. We’re your insulation experts.
