Windham County, VT Insulation Payback
Attic insulation payback for Windham County, VT
Windham County sits in IECC climate zone 6 (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. Going from R-2 to the recommended R-60 costs roughly $3,480 installed for a typical attic (about 1,000 sq ft), and pays for itself in about 1.7 years at an estimated $2,002/year saved. Hard to find a home improvement with a faster payback than this.
Heating vs. cooling in Windham County
Of that, about $1,941/year comes from reduced heating and $62/year from reduced cooling load through the ceiling. Windham County beats 82% of the counties in this 3,162-county dataset on estimated insulation savings. Among the 459 counties DOE places in zone 6, Windham County ranks 393rd. Against Vermont's own average of $2,179/year, Windham County runs 8% below that.
The climate data behind this
Windham County's climate figures — 7,259 heating and 383 cooling degree days a year — are read from WALPOLE 2S NEPP, NH US, 14.8 miles away, NOAA's nearest 1991-2020 normals station. Combined heating and cooling load puts Windham County in the 81th percentile of this 3,162-county dataset. DOE also classifies Windham 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 $292/year saved — roughly 7.8 years to break even. Topping up the attic pays for itself here.
Next steps for a Windham County attic
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 Windham 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.