South Floridians turning to insulation to combat high electric bills
MIAMI – Many South Floridians are discovering that adding attic insulation can lower their electric bills.
Ryan Queen had struggled to keep his Fort Lauderdale home cool.
In the middle of the summer, Queen's electric bill could run as high as $400 - $500. He said it dropped into the $200 range in the winter.
Several insulation companies guarantee that adding insulation can reduce an electricity bill from 15 to 30 percent.
After many attempts to get his air conditioner to work more efficiently, he thought to check the attic of his house.
"We noticed there was an extreme lack of insulation," said Queen.
Insulation is a material that reduces extreme temperatures by providing a barrier between the inside of the house and the temperature outside.
He called in experts.
"You look around the attic, you can see he has about three inches in some areas," said David Luderman, owner of Koala Insulation Co.
Florida's building code requires houses in Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach counties to have at least nine inches of insulation.
According to Luderman, more than 75 percent of the homes in South Florida do not comply with the requirements.
Actually, he recommends one foot of insulation to make the house comfortable.
"We shoot for a 30 percent reduction on the bill on every job we do," said Luderman.
"If we can get 15-20 percent [reduction], fantastic!" said Queen.
Kelly Frye is a homeowner whose concern was that her A/C could break down in the summer. It would stop working for a few hours at night.
"We were noticing it just wasn't cooling," said Frye.
She installed insulation in July 2024. The air conditioning stopped working so hard to cool and her electricity bill dropped.
Her bill from August 2023 was $576.89. A year later, she paid $478.66. "So, it's a dramatic difference of about $100," said Frye.
The price of insulation installment depends on the square footage of a house. Kelly Frye paid $1,200 for hers, Ryan Queen paid $2,300.
There is a rebate, if you use an FP&L-approved contractor. There are also tax breaks an accountant can explain.
"My insulation expense will be part of my tax return for 2024," said Frye.
A month after getting insulation installed, Frye saw the savings. "One hundred percent worth it. In less than a year, I will get back what I invested in insulation and will continue saving," he said.
Look here for additional incentives related to renewable energy savings.
