Check with your local utility company and see if they provide home energy audits. Many do, and at no cost to the homeowner. The auditor can help you identify and prioritize energy efficiency improvements.

The attic hould have at least R-30 insulation. If the house has the original insulation then probably should be removed before adding new insulation. It is not expensive as a DIY project.

The next item are the windows and exterior doors. You can add all the insulation you want, but if your have air coming through windows and doors you will always feel uncomfortable.

Adding insulation to exteror walls from the inside is a big project. You are better off replacing the siding and adding insulation on the exterior along with a barrier to stop air infiltration.

We insulated our walls, replaced single pane windows with double pane and those things made a difference. House much more comfortable. We don't have an attic, but adding insulation to your attic should have helped. Seek professional opinions on how the insulation install was done. Maybe improvements can be made. It's always very disappointing to learn when people you've hired may not have known what they were doing, not that this was the case for you, but it's possible.

We have no idea on your climate, your existing construction, your heating and cooling systems, or anything at all. So an independent professional visiting your house, like the utility program mentioned, is probably your best bet to start. Then come back here for advice if you want to evaluate specific things in the report further.

I currently reside in the Bay area, CA where the climate is mostly pleasant, although it can get quite windy at times. Last year, I had PG&E (Electric Company) send their audit team for a home energy audit, and they thoroughly checked my windows and attic for insulation and air leaks. My windows are double panel ones and were installed soon after I bought the house. One side of the attic was not insulated, and I got it insulated as per their suggestion. The audit team did not find any air leaks, and they informed me that wall insulation only makes 10% of the difference, with maximum difference coming when you insulate the attic and crawl space. I got both the attic and crawl space insulated properly.

However, despite getting the electricity audit done and insulation specialists checking the insulation 4-5 times, I have had no clear answer. Insulation companies keep telling me that wall insulation is necessary. Although, I am not entirely convinced about it. I feel that I have got the attic and crawl space insulated properly, but I see no difference. Should I invest in wall insulation? Will it actually make any difference? I am worried about my money being wasted if it does not make any significant impact. Also, I want to mention that some insulation specialist are suggesting to remove the Drywall and put R-13 insulation instead of Blow in insulation.

I would remove the drywalll room by room. Getting one room back to normal, before doing a second one, etc. That may tell you, if the wall insulation is actually doing any good before you even complete all outside walls.

Wall insulation is important! If your house was built in 1954 I wonder if there even is any. It may be possible to make holes and blow in cellulose but if you like the idea of newly sheetrocked walls batts are an option. I hope you do this soon, your savings on utility bills will offset the cost over time.

I lived in San Jose for 40 years…Insulation upgrades helped, but I upgraded the furnace and added A/C. Then I moved to the coast. Climate Change.

@elite-downtown downtown This link is opening to my post.

A house built in the Bay area in 1954 may have little and possibly no insulation. I suggest you cut about a one foot hole neatly between two studs and visually inspect how much insulation currently exists.

I don't know if your audit only did windows and ceiling light fixtures for air sealing, because if they didn't do a blower door test then you're probably missing a lot of leakage (e.g. walls). Any floor registers/vents? I'd be surprised there isn't any change with insulation in the attic or crawl, but there also isn't info on an established baseline (e.g. are you comparing straight costs from a cold month last year to a cold month this year, or cooling to electric heat?).

In CA, a typical older style roof is open eaves with solid bird blocks, often without good attic venting. If so, that can make a difference in cooling season.

Why not blown-in insulation? What was the rationale? I'd get a quote from a blown-in contractor and compare notes.

In Minnesota, my parents had their 1959 wall insulated around 2000. I've seen what was original insulation in the walls, less than a inch thick. They had insulation blown into the exterior walls. They had cedar shakes so they were able to remove single shakes, drill 2"holes, blow in insulation, plug holes, put shake back in place. In areas with brick exterior it had to be done from inside going through drywall. One at each space between 2x4's. It made a very big difference.