Emery County, UT Insulation Payback
Emery County attic insulation, by the numbers
Emery County sits in IECC climate zone 5 (Cold) — cold enough that heating, not cooling, is what decides the bill. For a currently uninsulated attic, DOE and Energy Star recommend building up to R-60. Topping up a typical 1,000-square-foot attic from bare joists (R-2) to R-60 runs an estimated $3,480, and saves about $1,793 a year in heating and cooling — a payback around 1.9 years.
Topping up the attic pays for itself fast here.
Where the savings come from
Split it out and it's roughly $1,705 a year on the heating side, $88 on cooling. By estimated insulation savings, Emery County lands in the 72nd percentile nationally. Zone 5 alone covers 754 counties in this dataset, and Emery County comes in 313th by savings. Utah averages $1,791/year across the counties tracked here; Emery County comes in 0% higher.
The climate data behind this
NOAA's Castle Dale, UT US station, 20.8 miles from Emery County, supplies the 6,378 HDD and 547 CDD this estimate runs on. Combined heating and cooling load puts Emery County in the 70th percentile of this 3,171-county dataset. One local detail the R-value alone won't tell you: Emery County sits in moisture regime B (dry), which can affect the vapor-barrier choice.
The smaller top-up scenario
Already have a few inches up there? Topping R-11 up to R-49 runs about $2,280 for about $262/year saved — roughly 8.7 years to break even. Call this borderline rather than a clear win.
Getting it done in Emery County
Get quotes from at least two local contractors before committing. Attic access and any needed air sealing move the price around, and most contractors won't take a job below roughly $600 regardless of size - worth checking upfront given Emery County's estimated $1,793/year on the line.
Where these figures come from
Emery County's R-60 target and its degree-day figures both come from named federal sources - see the methodology guide for exactly which ones. The guide to what R-value actually means explains why R-60 is the target here specifically.