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The honest attic-insulation savings calculator

Built on real Alberta degree-days and July 2026 energy prices. Every assumption is listed, and the ones that matter are adjustable. If the number is small, we'll show you a small number.

Your building

Roughly your main-floor footprint. Drag high for barns & shops.

Location
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Our assumptions (tap to view or adjust)

July 2026 regulated rate is $1.60/GJ + variable delivery & riders ≈ $5 all-in per extra GJ.

Typical installed range in Calgary is $1.50–$2.50/ft².

  • Existing insulation credited R-2.5 per inch × 0.85 (settling, gaps, joist bridging).
  • Heating degree-days: Calgary ≈ 5,000, Red Deer ≈ 5,450 (base 18 °C) + allowance for 21 °C indoor temps.
  • Furnace efficiency 92% (gas), 90% (propane); A/C COP 3; electricity $0.19/kWh all-in variable.
  • Air sealing adds ~12% (reduced attic air leakage). Cooling includes summer attic solar gain.
  • CO₂e: 51.6 kg/GJ gas, 61.2 propane; AB grid ≈ 0.40 kg/kWh.
Estimated savings at today's prices
$86
Likely range$65 – $108 / year
Heating portion—
Cooling portion—
Energy saved—
If gas returns to 5-yr avg prices—
Carbon avoided—
Typical job cost—
Payback—

Estimates, not a quote — real attics vary (ventilation, air leakage, layout). Gas is unusually cheap in 2026, which is exactly why we show the math instead of promising "40% savings." Most customers buy the upgrade for comfort, ice-dam prevention, and resale value; the energy savings stack on top. Firm quotes are free and take one 15-minute attic visit.

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How the model works (for the curious and the skeptical)

Heat moves through your ceiling at a rate set by the temperature difference and the insulation's resistance. Over a year, that's captured by degree-days — Calgary averages about 5,000 heating degree-days (base 18 °C); Red Deer runs colder at roughly 5,450.

  1. Your current R-value: settled loose-fill or batts earn about R-2.5 per inch on paper. We multiply by 0.85 because real attics have gaps, compressed spots, and wood joists bridging through the insulation.
  2. Heat saved: the difference in conductance (before vs. after), times your attic area, times degree-days — adjusted for a 21 °C thermostat and your furnace's efficiency. Air sealing adds about 12% by cutting warm-air leakage into the attic.
  3. Dollars: we price saved gas at the marginal all-in rate (~$5/GJ in mid-2026: $1.60 commodity + variable delivery and riders). Fixed monthly charges don't change when you use less, so we don't count them — most competitors quietly do.
  4. Cooling: Calgary summers are mild, but attics bake in the sun, so we use an effective cooling load that includes solar gain. It's a real but modest saving.

Why our numbers look smaller than other companies'. Alberta gas is near record lows in 2026, and there's no consumer carbon charge anymore. "Save 40%" claims are built on US energy prices or 2022 gas spikes. If prices climb back to their 5-year average, your savings rise with them — that line is in the results for exactly that reason. Meanwhile the comfort, ice-dam, and resale benefits arrive on day one.

Sources: Environment Canada climate normals (degree-days); AUC/Direct Energy regulated rate announcements (July 2026: $1.595/GJ); Alberta Building Code s.9.36 attic requirements for new homes. Model documented in our cost guide.

Want the real number for your house?

A 15-minute attic check turns this estimate into a fixed quote — and we photograph what we find, so you see what you're starting from.

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