Attic insulation + air-sealing savings
What could an attic insulation upgrade save?
Start with your existing attic insulation, including R-10, and compare a final value of R-49 or R-60. See insulation-only savings first, then the additional air-sealing estimate and complete package total. All figures use the square footage you enter directly.
Planning estimate, not a guaranteed bill reduction. Uses published Rocky Mountain Power Utah standard residential and Enbridge Gas Utah GS rates verified October 23, 2026. Choose custom rates for another utility, time-of-use or solar plan.
Compare the insulation upgrade
Insulation-only monthly savings
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Enter your attic area and bills, then compare final R-49 and R-60.
Default equipment: 90% gas furnace and SEER 13 central AC. Open settings to match your home.
First-year monthly average from added insulation alone. Air sealing is shown separately below.
Estimated annual insulation-only savings
| Final R | Monthly avg. | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| R-49 | ||
| R-60 |
Same attic, different starting R-value
Annual insulation-only savings to the same final R-value. All rows use your entered area and the same climate, equipment and energy rates. These are hypothetical starting conditions, not different savings to add together.
Lower starting R-values allow a larger reduction in heat flow. These bars exclude air sealing so its assumed benefit does not hide that difference.
Full package: insulation + air sealing
Combined estimated monthly average in year 1
| Added insulation | |
|---|---|
| Estimated air sealing | |
| Combined annual savings |
Interwest includes standard air sealing. Its savings use illustrative leakage assumptions in the settings; they are not measured job results or a guaranteed bill reduction.
Combined savings over 10 years
Dollar ranges reflect utility usage tiers, not model uncertainty. Actual savings can fall outside these ranges. Fixed fees, taxes, weather adjustments, duct improvements and rebates are excluded.
Insulation already in place affects the value of adding more. An assessment can check coverage, air leaks and the appropriate upgrade for your attic.
Request an attic assessmentWhich square footage should I enter?
Use the total attic floor area being upgraded above conditioned rooms. Do not include an unheated garage or add basement floor area. The number is used directly as the insulation area.
Your utility bill includes appliances, water heating and other uses that attic insulation will not eliminate. Bills show savings relative to current spending; they do not set the energy price. Insulation savings and an illustrative air-sealing improvement are shown separately, with a combined package total.
For other utility plans—including municipal electricity, time-of-use and solar—choose custom rates in the settings. This simple model does not simulate hourly solar exports or time-of-use schedules.
Need help measuring the attic or choosing an upgrade? Request an attic assessment.
How the estimate is calculated
Heating energy saved = attic area × 24 × heating degree days × (1 ÷ existing R-value − 1 ÷ final R-value), divided by heating efficiency. Natural gas is converted using 100,000 BTU per therm. This uses the same simplified nominal R-value heating approach as the CIMA calculator linked below. Cooling uses cooling degree days and SEER separately. The insulation component excludes framing bridges, installation defects, other ceiling layers and solar roof heating. Air-sealing savings are calculated separately and added once.
For air sealing, the entered area × average ceiling height provides a simplified volume proxy. It is not a measurement of the entire home’s volume. The example starts at 0.4 natural air changes per hour and assumes 20% less leakage after attic sealing. Sensible heat savings use volume × reduction in natural air changes × 0.018 BTU per cubic foot per °F × degree days × 24 hours, adjusted for equipment efficiency. The standard-air approximation does not model humidity, altitude, wind, mechanical ventilation changes or seasonal infiltration effects. An audit is needed for a home-specific prediction.
Monthly climate normals allocate energy savings between the utilities’ summer and winter periods. Standard rate ranges use the two published usage tiers; custom rates use one entered energy price throughout the year. This is an educational model, not a utility-endorsed prediction or an energy audit.
Choose the final total R-value: R-49 or R-60. Insulation added equals the final R-value minus your starting R-value. If the starting and final values are both R-49, insulation-only savings are zero; the air-sealing estimate remains separate. This comparison does not establish rebate eligibility.
Understand R-38, R-49 and R-60 · Explore attic insulation service
Rebates are one-time incentives, separate from the utility savings shown here. See Utah insulation rebate requirements and our cost guide.
Utility rates and technical references
Rates verified October 23, 2026. Published snapshot, not a live utility feed. Standard electric rates include applicable usage-based adjustments; local taxes and fixed customer charges are excluded from savings. Rate changes require review.
- Rocky Mountain Power Utah price summary — effective September 25, 2026, Schedule 1 standard rates and listed adjustments. The Schedule 92 adjustment used here runs through December 31, 2026.
- Enbridge Gas Utah tariffs — GS volumetric summer/winter rates, revised June/July 2026; 1 Dth = 10 therms.
- NOAA Pleasant Grove climate normals — station USC00426919, 1991–2020, page 1; annual HDD65 5,005 and CDD65 1,187. Rounded monthly values are scaled to the entered annual totals.
- U.S. Department of Energy insulation savings equations — Appendix E.7. Our simplified model uses nominal R-values; it is not a calibrated whole-house simulation.
- CIMA insulation savings calculator — the insulation-only heating component matches when area, degree days, R-values, gas price and furnace efficiency match. Interwest’s totals also include an assumed air-sealing improvement. CIMA’s separate 10-year result assumes 10% annual fuel-price increases; this calculator uses a fixed 4%.
- ENERGY STAR air-sealing upgrade assumptions — includes a 20% infiltration-reduction scenario for attic sealing. Our starting natural leakage and ceiling height are illustrative assumptions, not ENERGY STAR ratings or verified Interwest performance.