The furnace just kicked on again. You look at the thermostat, then at your projected utility bill, and sigh. For Calgary homeowners, that high heating bill is an inevitable part of living in a cold climate—or is it?
At Crack & Attic Doctor, we know that pouring money into natural gas month after month is not a sustainable solution. The real culprit is rarely your furnace; it’s the large, expensive hole in your home’s winter coat: your attic.
If your home was built before the 1990s, you are likely paying 10-45% more than you should be to heat your home. Here is why an attic insulation top-up is not a cost, but a critical, one-time investment that will save you money for decades.
The Hard Truth: You’re Heating the Sky
The biggest energy offender in any home is heat loss through the roof.
- Heat Rises: Physics dictates that warm air will always rise to the highest point. In your home, that means your valuable, furnace-generated heat is constantly trying to push through your attic ceiling.
- The Missing Coat: Older homes in Calgary often have attic insulation levels around R-20 to R-30. The modern standard recommended for our climate is R-50 to R-60. Think of it this way: you are currently wearing a light fall jacket in a minus 20-degree blizzard.
- The Leak: Without enough thermal resistance (R-Value), the heat blasts straight through the attic and out your roof vents. Your furnace runs longer and harder to try and replace that escaping heat, burning extra natural gas and drastically increasing your bills.
According to Natural Resources Canada, upgrading and sealing your attic can lead to 10% to 50% savings on your annual heating and cooling costs.
💰 Investment vs. Expense: The Top-Up Payback
You are already paying for an attic top-up—you’re just paying your utility company instead of investing in your home.
| Financial Scenario | Another Winter of High Bills | A Professional Attic Top-Up |
| Type of Cost | Recurring, unpredictable expense | One-time investment with long-term return |
| Typical Annual Loss | Hundreds of dollars gone forever through heat loss. | $300 to $1,500 saved annually on energy bills. |
| Payback Period | None. The money is spent. | Often 3 to 5 years, after which savings are pure profit. |
| Home Value | None. | Increases home value and energy rating (a major selling point). |
What is the Typical Investment?
While the cost of a top-up varies by attic size and current insulation level, most Calgary homes can be upgraded to the recommended R-60 standard with blown-in fiberglass or cellulose insulation for a fraction of what you will lose to the gas company over the next decade.
The Bottom Line: Every winter you delay is another year the utility company is making a larger profit off your inefficient home.
❄️ Bonus Benefits: More Than Just Savings
The financial argument is compelling, but an attic top-up provides benefits that immediately improve your quality of life:
1. Goodbye, Ice Dams
When hot air escapes into your attic, it melts the snow on your roof. That water then refreezes at the cold, unheated eavestroughs, creating damaging ice dams. Proper R-60 insulation keeps the roof deck cold and prevents this cycle, protecting your roof structure and shingles.
2. Year-Round Comfort
Insulation is a thermal barrier, working both ways. In the winter, it holds heat in. In the summer, it prevents the sun-baked heat from your roof from transferring down into your upper floors. This means:
- Warmer bedrooms in January.
- Cooler, more bearable upstairs temperatures in July.
3. A Healthier Attic (and Home)
A professional top-up from Crack & Attic Doctor always includes air sealing the attic floor before blowing in the new material. This seals all the tiny holes, gaps, and cracks around light fixtures, vents, and plumbing stacks, preventing moist, conditioned air from causing rot or mold in your attic space.
📞 Ready to Stop Overpaying? Contact the Doctor!
Don’t face another Calgary winter paying for heat that immediately disappears. A quick attic inspection can tell us exactly how much R-Value you are missing and provide a straightforward quote for the full R-60 upgrade.
It’s time to stop heating the sky and start investing in your home.
Contact Crack & Attic Doctor today for your FREE Attic Energy Assessment!
-
Contact Information Details Phone (403)-321-2623 Email crackandatticdoctor@gmail.com (Head Office: 715, 100, 4th Av SW | Branch Office: Second Floor – 32 Westwinds, Crescent, NE)
Leave a Reply