Moultrie County, IL Insulation Payback
Attic insulation payback for Moultrie County, IL
Moultrie County sits in IECC climate zone 5 (Cold) — winters that dominate the energy bill, with cooling a minor factor. 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 $1,638 a year in heating and cooling — a payback around 2.1 years. Hard to find a home improvement with a faster payback than this.
Heating vs. cooling in Moultrie County
Of that, about $1,457/year comes from reduced heating and $181/year from reduced cooling load through the ceiling. Moultrie County beats 62% of the counties in this 3,162-county dataset on estimated insulation savings. Among the 745 counties DOE places in zone 5, Moultrie County ranks 591st. Against Illinois's own average of $1,642/year, Moultrie County runs 0% above that.
Moultrie County's actual weather, not a national average
NOAA's SULLIVAN 3S, IL US station, 5.3 miles from Moultrie County, supplies the 5,449 HDD and 1,128 CDD this estimate runs on. That combined heating-and-cooling load ranks Moultrie County 1165th nationally by total degree days — the 63th percentile. DOE also classifies Moultrie County as moisture regime A (humid) - ask a local contractor whether that changes the vapor-barrier approach for this job.
If the attic isn't bare
Already have a few inches up there? Topping R-11 up to R-49 runs about $2,280 for about $239/year saved — roughly 9.5 years to break even. It is close - the payback only just fits a reasonable timeframe.
Quotes and materials for this job
Actual quotes will vary by attic access, existing debris, and whether the job needs air sealing first. Treat the $3,480 figure above as a planning number for Moultrie County, not a bid - contractors typically charge a $600 minimum regardless of job size.
More on how this was built
Nothing here is a guess: the methodology guide names the DOE climate map and NOAA station data behind every number on this page. See the DIY vs. contractor guide for whether a job this size is realistic to do yourself.