I have a 1961 built home in Central Jersey (climate zone 4). Been living in it for about 4 years. The attic is pretty messed up in terms of insulation. It's currently insulated with the equivalent of approximately R-19 ( 2 layers that total to about R-19). it's got all kinds of debris from when the roof was replaced. Picture attached.

I heard about Home Energy improvement rebate from my gas company (Elizabethtown gas) where they will give out rebate and 0% financing for consumers who choose to upgrade their insulation and air seal their attic. The only stipulation to qualify for the rebate is that it has to be done by contractors that are approved by the gas company.

Basically the project is:

1. remove existing batt insulation
2. air gap sealing, and
3. re insulate with r-38 faced batt for about 900sq feet of insulatable space. About 500 sq feet of the house has cathedral ceiling and not accessible through attic.

There are only 2 contractors that are approved by the gas company. I called both of them up. The first company showed up, didn't even take a measurement and quoted me a square footage that's bigger than my house, and magically come up with $13K minus $2K rebate. So, definitely cross him out of the list.

The second company is very detailed. asked for my gas and electric bill, and quoted $8800 minus $2800 rebate. I can finance $6k over 10 years with 0% APR. The proposal of work is (removal is not mentioned in the contract, but will ask to be revised before i sign. ):

1. Contractor will perform air sealing in the attic as needed, with approved weatherization techniques from the Department of Energy, "Building Performance Guide".
2. Contractor will install duct wrap to the bath fan ducts.
3. Contractor will install R-38.4, 12" fiberglass batting to the main attic flat open areas atop existing insulation approximately 865 square feet.
4. Contractor will install R-18.0, 3" closed cell spray foam to the knee walls approximately 68square feet.5. Contractor will apply for permits needed for completion of contracted work. The cost of applicable permit will be an additional cost to the customer.
6. Cellulose type insulation conforms with the following specifications: Federal Safety Specification #HH 151 5D United Laboratory Classified
Consumer Product Safety Commission #16 CFR 1209 Factory Mutual Tested



I called up 2 reputable attic companies with good reviews Attic Crawl and master attic. They are very similar with prices, around $4800. The spec of work is as follow (very similar between these 2 companies):

1. Plastic/Dropcloth
   Line floors and walls with plastic/dropcloth to maintain clean workspace
2. Insulation Removal
   Bag and remove 900 sqft decomposed R-11 faced batts (double layered) from accessible areas of attic floors and 120 sqft from walls facing living space. 16” joists. Same day removal of trash
3. Heavy Duty Vacuum Cleaning
   Vacuum rodent droppings. dirt , dust and insulation fibers with industrial 23 horsepower vac
4. Sanitizing - Disinfect for Germs and Bacteria
   Spray germicidal bleach to kill bacteria, germs and allergens in attic
5. Air Gap Sealing
   Seal Wire/Pipe/Draft holes with expanding foam to boost energy efficiency, protect from condensation and to block potential rodent access to walls in home
6. Rodent Proofing - Interior & Exterior
   Seal rodent entry points with galvanized mesh and expanding foam in attic. Complementary
7. Baffles
   Install baffles in eaves of joist bays in attic.
8. Faced Batts R38 16"
   Install 900 sqft Owens Corning Eco Touch R-38 faced batts in floors of attic.
9. Faced Batts R13 16"
   Install 120 sqft Owens Corning eco touch green guard certified R-13 faced batts in walls facing living space in attic

My question is:
1. is it worth spending this kind of money for attic? according to the report from my gas company, I am MUCH MORE efficient compared to the average efficient home in my neighborhood. But mostly because we keep the temperature at 61/62 in the house, and dial it all the way down to 50 at night and use electric blanket. In the hot summer however, electric bill goes up to north of $300

2. assuming no 1 is worth pursuing, is it worth spending the extra $1000 going with an approved contractor? I don't really care for the 0% apr if it's $1k cheaper by going with regular contractors.

Any thoughts are appreciated.