With summer officially upon us, the mercury is bound to rise over the next few months. For many people, this means turning on the air conditioning full blast to cool down the house, or buying an over sized unit to get the job done. However, there is one solution that will keep the energy you've already used inside your home. You'll save on bills, repair costs, and help the environment. The key is better insulation.

Good insulation will keep the cool air inside your home and keep your appliances running smoothly, while poor insulation will waste energy and force undo wear and tear on your cooling system. There is a good reason that the government has an entire program designed to weatherizing homes (click here). Did you know that up to 45% of a home's heating and cooling energy can be lost through its attic? This problem is remedied easily and cost effectively by adding quality insulation to your home. When it comes to insulation, one product stands ahead of the rest: dense pack cellulose.

Dense pack cellulose is easy to install and has the following advantages over traditional fiberglass insulation:

• Made from 82% recycled materials
• 40% more efficient than fiberglass insulation
• Fire retardant
• Insect resistant
• No dangerous chemicals
• Easy to retrofit existing attics and walls
• Better sound barrier to protect from street noise

Proper insulation will allow you to save your current cooling system, while keeping it from running constantly, adding life to your machine.

During the winter, heat will be similarly preserved. Though dense pack cellulose has a 35% initially higher purchase cost than fiberglass, the energy savings will balance the cost in less than three years.

Properly installed by a certified contractor, dense pack cellulose will not settle. Using high tech machinery, These professionals are able to pack the fibers so tightly that no settling occurs, and without causing any damage to the wall surfaces. Proper packing of dense pack removes any possible drafts or voids, which provides an excellent sound barrier keeping the road noise at bay.

Where can you go to get dense pack cellulose installed in your home? There are many qualified installers in all areas of the country.

National Fiber has a excellent quality control program. They have representatives in the field constantly traveling with thermal imaging equipment to evaluate the installation of their product. This company earns a green star for efficiency.  National Fiber is a true green company, from the warehouse to the actual manufacturing of their product:

• They use 20% less energy to make their product than fiberglass, 50% less than foam
• Product installation process has little waste factor
• Remodeled manufacturing facility is highly efficient (using their product of course)
• Purchase local post-consumer paper products for the recycled content of their insulation.

For an extensive list of quality certified professionals and installers in your area, visit www.nationalfiber.com or call 1-800-282-7711.

For more ideas specific to your home, it's easy to find out where to spend your money wisely. Contact local energy auditor to come out and evaluate your home. This will provide you with the necessary information to wisely invest your money first.

In many cases the energy provider will pay for part of the evaluation. www.energy.gov may has many government programs you may qualify for. Click here for information on local government weatherization assistance.