I heard a story on NPR this morning about landlords in New England who, in the face of high heating costs this winter, have elected to just stop paying for oil for their tenants. It's a terrible situation. But it did make me think that this time of year, the cold weather is a good reminder about the importance of insulation in our homes.

If you haven't added or upgraded your insulation in a long time, it's a good time to think about it. It can be one of the smartest investments you make in a home.

Insulation's effectiveness is measured with an indicator called "R Value". The R value measures the insulation's ability to resist heat traveling through it. Insulation is most useful in helping keep hit in your home during the winter months, but can also help reduce air condition bills in the summer.

Energy Star has a nice table that tells what the R value recommendation is by state and by type of heating system. For Virginia, if you're using gas/oil or heat pump they recommend R38. If you're using electric resistance, they recommend R49.

Insulation can break down and lose its effectiveness over time. So it makes sense to have a professional take a look and let you know what you have and what condition it's in.

Attic/ceiling insulation is where you should start. It's the most cost effective. Walls can be more problematic and we'll talk in more detail about that in another post.

Stay warm!