A RECENT REPORT FROM THE DEPARTMENT of Energy (DOE) shows that new code changes to the residential energy requirements of the International Energy Conservation Code—specifically the need to increase wall insulation values—will take between 40 and 90 years to provide an energy cost savings to homeowners. Depending on the climate, the changes will add an estimated cost of $600 to a new home while offering a savings of approximately $15 per year in energy costs because many insulation types, including spray-in cellulose and expanding foam, could not achieve the prescribed ratings without the construction of two-by-six walls.
