Insulating your home is one of the most cost-effective ways to improve energy efficiency for your home. Consumer expert Angie Hicks says you could save a good bit of money by doing it.

"The cost will depend on your climate and the size of your home. Typically homeowners find they can see a 20% savings on their heating and cooling bills by properly insulating their house."

One thing you may not know is that insulation deteriorates over time. Contractor Robert Tranum says, head to your attic if you want to know just how much insulation you have.


“The best way to tell in an attic is if you can see the beams in an attic you are under insulated. You want to make sure you have a good 6-8 inches of cellulose above your wood beams or 8-10 of fiberglass above your beams."

And for the walls...

"The walls are a little more difficult you can take off the plates on your walls your outlet covers and look that way and see. We have an infrared camera that is really the better way to check it. Another way is to just drill a hole on the outside underneath your siding,” says Tranum

On top of the money you'll save on your power bill, there's also a tax credit for insulation available until the end of the year.