The Department of Energy has shown that at least forty-five percent of the heat in an un-insulated home is lost through the attic.  This is because heat rises in the home and then finds small cracks and holes to escape out of the home.  This means that insulating your attic is one of the best ways to control the temperature of your home.  Insulating the attic will most hot air from going into the attic, where you rarely go, and also all the home to be heated faster and more efficiently.

The attic insulation will also assist in cutting air conditioning costs.  It can do this by steadying the normally fluctuating temperature in your home.  This will increase the overall comfort inside the house and be cheaper for you in the long run.  If you have “hot spots” in your home, attic insulation with also cut back on those.  A “hot spot” is a place in your home where heat seems to gather.  By steadying the temperature and stopping the heat from escaping these should all but disappear after insulating the attic. 

There are tons of different types of insulation and many different places in your home that you can put it.  The one thing to remember, however, is: Some insulation somewhere, is always better than none anywhere.  No matter where you end up putting insulation it will ultimately keep your home cool in the warm months and warmer in the cold ones.  Having it in place and controlling your energy consumption and costs is one of the best ways to cut back on your cost of living and keep those bills low. 

If you aren't too keen on the standard fiberglass insulation that you will find in most homes there are other options.  You can look into foam insulation as an alternative.  It is a very simple and clean form of insulation and is easy to install. 

Spray foam is comprised of a high density polyurethane and can be used in almost any type of building.  Anything from residential, industrial and commercial buildings can benefit from this type of insulation.  This type of foam is normally sprayed onto the area you would like to insulate in a liquid form and then will expand to fill the area it is in.  The great thing about spray insulation is it will actually fill in all of the small cracks and holes that may otherwise get looked over.  It will fully seal your building and ensure that no air is escaping where you don't want it to.  Holding in the “bought air” in your home or business will cut down on your energy costs dramatically.  This type of insulation can also make your building more sound proof.  This will keep sound from outside from entering the house, but also sounds from inside disturbing the neighbors. 

If you don't like the idea of spray insulation, you can still use foam insulation.  You will simply have to use foam panels.  These large sheets of foam can actually be cut to fit whatever size you need and simply put into place.  The boards are made up of small, densely packed pockets of air that will cover any cracks or gaps in your walls and ceiling.  This is also a great choice if you are looking for a fire and water resistant form of insulation. 

The cost of the different forms of insulation can vary greatly, so be sure to do your homework.  Many kits can be upwards of several hundred dollars, so knowing what you want and need for your particular situation is incredibly important.