Chapter 2.8, Problem 113RP

A typical household pays about $1200 a year on energy bills, and the U.S. Department of Energy estimates that 46 percent of this energy is used for heating and cooling, 15 percent for heating water, 15 percent for refrigerating and freezing, and the remaining 24 percent for lighting, cooking, and running other appliances. The heating and cooling costs of a poorly insulated house can be reduced by up to 30 percent by adding adequate insulation. If the cost of insulation is $200, determine how long it will take for the insulation to pay for itself from the energy it saves.