[lmtemple]

Has anyone installed extra insulation?? If so, what and did it result in a savings on your electric bill. And, does anyone know anything about The Icynene Insulation Systems.

We have a Gardenia and I find the electric to be very high and we also have a gas stove, hot water heater and dryer. Thanks very much, LT

[villages07]

LM....we put some extra insulation above the garage...but, can't really determine any difference in electric bill.

However, this being our first full year here...I have found the electric bills to be very reasonable. Like you, we have gas for stove, dryer, HWH, and heat. Our peak monthly bill this summer was $134 for a 2,000 sq ft Lantana with front of house facing south/west. We keep the A/C on at 78. In months with no A/C, the electric bill is about $50/month.

What kind of electric bills were you seeing this past summer?

[drdodge]

why would adding insulation to the garage ceiling have any effect on electric bill. the garage is not heated and not air cond. are the wall insulated.
drd

[villages07]

dr...sorry, you're right; there is an open area from garage to main part of house in which we added some insulation to keep heat (or cold) from flowing too freely. Main reason for garage insulation was to try to regulate the temp in the garage more.

I guess my main point back to original poster was..... what did he/she consider as too high an electric bill.

[captain1202]

Not sure how it would affect you for cooling, but up north, they usually figure 50% of your heat escapes through the attic. We had an antique home there years ago and had no insulation the first winter. Used 3000 gallons of oil!!. Thank got it was only .14/gal. Did I really say that? Seems like pre-historic times.

Anyway, we insulated the attic the next summer and cut the usage by more than 50%. Year after that we foamed the walls and cut it another 50%. Got it down to about 700 gals for old (1822) 10 room home. I would guess that you could expect similar savings on A/C but can't speak with authority. We are definitely looking into it for our home in TV, however.

On another note, I worked for a sunroom and window company for a while and we guaranteed 40% fuel savings on heat for a double pane window installation. Window had to have argon fill and low-e glass. I would think this would be a worthwhile upgrade here as well.

BTW, check the archives, I think there was an earlier thread on this issue.