One of the more cost-effective ways to increase the energy efficiency of your home is to increase the insulation. Buying a new home with guaranteed energy efficiency like Right Choice homes helps insure that your home will be economical and comfortable. If you have an older home, increasing the amount of insulation is a cost-effective investment in comfort and lower energy bills.

Insulation effectiveness is shown in R-value, which measures how well a substance resists heat transfer. The higher the R-value, the more the insulating value. Here are the main types of insulation:

Batt or roll insulation — Batt insulation is typically made from fiberglass. It is easy to install in attics and walls, but difficult to use in situations like cathedral ceilings or floor insulation. Standard fiberglass batts have an R-value of 2.2 to 3.7 per inch.

Blown insulation — Loose-fill fiberglass or cellulose (recycled newspaper) is blown into place using special equipment. It can be used to fill existing wall cavities and hard-to-reach areas and offers an R-value of 2.2 to 3.7 per inch.

Foamed-in-place insulation — Foamed-in-place polyurethane foam insulation is applied by professionals using special equipment. It's often used to fill existing wall cavities and has an R-value of 3.6 to 6.2 per inch. It expands to fill the cavities and then solidifies, so it also helps reduce air infiltration.

Rigid insulation — Rigid boards of plastic foam are used for basement walls and cathedral ceilings and offer high insulating value, R-4 to R-7 per inch.

Structural Insulating Panels (SIPS) — These panels are made of plastic foam insulation sandwiched between two sheets of a manufactured wood product, such as oriented strand board. They can be used to provide more insulation for cathedral ceilings and in new-home construction. They are usually available with thicknesses of 4.5 and 6.5 inches of foam with an R-value of 4.0 to 6.5 per inch.

Older homes, especially those built before 1980, are often poorly insulated. You can usually easily add ceiling insulation using batts or blown-in insulation to bring the level up to the recommended R-19. If your home has little or no wall insulation, it may also be worthwhile to have a contractor blow or foam in insulation.

To determine how much insulation your home has now, first check the attic and then the walls and floors next to an unheated space like a garage. You usually can find unfinished areas that let you see how much insulation is there. To determine how much insulation finished exterior walls have, try removing the cover plate of an electrical outlet (after you've turned off the power to the outlet). Look around the outlet box to see whether there's insulation. You can also check the wall insulation by removing a small piece of exterior siding.

Measure the ceiling insulation using a ruler. Multiply the number of inches of batt insulation by 3.2 to determine the existing R-value. If the ceiling insulation is loose-fill fiberglass, multiply by 2.5 and if it's gray loose cellulose insulation, multiply by 3.5. The National Association of Home Builders Research Center estimates that upgrading your insulation level from 8 to 19 can save an estimated $5.90 per 100 square feet of ceiling per year.

Be sure to evaluate the big picture before deciding to add ceiling insulation. The big-ticket items are heating, cooling and water heating. Tight ducts and high efficiency HVAC equipment also factor into a home's energy performance.

If you're a do-it-yourselfer, try the online approach with Right Choice Home Analyzers or call to order the free Right Choice Energy Audit Kit.