New Brunswick · climate zone 6 · prices and rebates checked October 8, 2026

Insulation and upgrade payback calculator for Moncton

Moncton has 4,514 heating degree-days a year (climate zone 6), and NRCan recommends about R-60 in an attic here. For a typical detached house of about 1,600 sq ft (149 m²) built between 1966 and 1980 with a gas furnace, mid-efficiency, topping up the attic from R-20 to R-60 saves about $130 a year at $0.955/m³ and costs about $1,200–$1,960; the smallest open rebate that applies (NB Power Total Home Energy Savings) is $320. In an electrically heated house the same attic saves about $210 a year.

Heating degree-days

4,514

NBC climate zone 6

NRCan attic target

R-60

code minimum for new homes R-49.2

Natural gas, one more m³

$0.955/m³

used for every saving

Open rebate programs

1

NB Power Total Home Energy Savings

Upgrade payback calculator for Moncton

Pre-filled for a typical 1966–1980 house in Moncton with Moncton's climate, prices and open rebates. The insulation levels are typical assumptions for the era, not measurements: change anything you know about your house. Nothing you enter leaves your browser.

Your house
Year built
Type
Size (heated floors above the basement)
sq ft
Heating and bills
$

Used for every saving (fixed charges left out).

$

Only used to turn a monthly bill into energy.

Calibrate to your bills (optional)

Based on a typical house

$1,930saved a year with 6 upgrades

About 10,610 kWh a year less for your electric baseboards or furnace: 38.2 GJ of the 96.1 GJ of heat the house needs (40%).

Installed cost
$13,550–$21,460 + your quotes
Rebates counted
$1,320
Simple payback
12–20 years for the 4 upgrades with a cost
Saving over 20 years
$38,620

Enter your quote for wall insulation and basement wall insulation to add them to the cost and payback. The 4 upgrades with a cost save about $1,030 a year together.

Measures overlap, so the total (40% of your heating need) is less than the sum of each one alone (48%).

Add your annual use or a monthly bill to calibrate these numbers to your house. Most rebates need an EnerGuide evaluation before and after the work; their conditions are listed further down this page.

Attic insulation
R-
R-

NRCan recommends R-60 for climate zone 6; we cap the default at R-60. The building code minimum for a new house here is R-49.2.

sq ft
$
Or cost per sq ft (low – high)
$ – $

HomeStars (updated 21/08/2026): "installation costs range from $1.50 to $2.45 per square foot"; Canadian attic jobs average $1,500–$3,000 including materials and installation.

$210/yr · 4.1 GJ (4.3% of heating) · cost $1,200–$1,960 · $320 rebate · payback 4.2–7.9 years

Wall insulation
How
RSI

R-12

sq ft
$

We couldn't verify a 2025–2026 Canadian price for wall insulation, so this starts blank. NRCan: on an exterior retrofit the insulation is only about 15–20% of the cost.

$470/yr · 9.3 GJ (9.7% of heating) · cost enter your quote · $1,780 rebate · payback enter a cost

Basement wall insulation
RSI

R-4

RSI

R-20

sq ft
$

$745/yr · 14.7 GJ (15.3% of heating) · cost enter your quote · $890 rebate · payback enter a cost

New windows
windows
$
Or cost per window (low – high)
$ – $

HomeStars (updated 21/08/2026): $800–$1,000 for a double-hung and $900–$1,200 for a casement window, installed; bay and bow windows $2,500–$4,000.

$435/yr · 8.6 GJ (9.0% of heating) · cost $12,000–$18,000 · $750 rebate · payback 26–40 years

Air sealing
%
ACH50

Leave the cut blank for our default: 20%, or 15% if your house tests under 4 ACH50. The blower-door number is on your EnerGuide report.

Cost (low – high)
$ – $

HomeStars (updated 21/08/2026): air sealing and ventilation "could add $350 to $1,500" to an attic insulation job.

$180/yr · 3.6 GJ (3.8% of heating) · cost $350–$1,500 · $250 rebate · payback under 1 to 6.9 years

Thermostat setback
°C
hours a day
$

NRCan suggests 17 °C when you're asleep or away and 20 °C when you're home, and not going below 17 °C. $0 if you already have a programmable thermostat; we couldn't verify a 2025–2026 price for a new one.

$290/yr · 5.8 GJ (6.0% of heating) · cost $0 · no rebate counted · payback right away

Each upgrade on its own
UpgradeSaved a yearCost and rebatePayback20 years
Attic insulationR-20 → R-60 over 800 sq ft $2101,140 kWh a year $1,200–$1,960rebate $320 4.2–7.9 years $4,160
Wall insulationR-10 exterior insulation: RSI 2.1 → 3.9 over 1,580 sq ft $4702,590 kWh a year your quoterebate $1,780 enter a cost $9,430
Basement wall insulationRSI 0.7 → 3.5 over 890 sq ft of wall $7454,090 kWh a year your quoterebate $890 enter a cost $14,910
New windows15 windows: U 2.86 → 1.22 $4352,400 kWh a year $12,000–$18,000rebate $750 26–40 years $8,730
Air sealingA 20% cut in air leakage (NRCan: about 25% of heat loss) $1801,000 kWh a year $350–$1,500rebate $250 under 1 to 6.9 years $3,640
Thermostat setback3.0 °C lower for 8 hours a day $2901,600 kWh a year $0 right away $5,830

Savings use the price of one more unit of energy, not your average price. Each upgrade is shown on its own against your house as it is now; the total above accounts for overlap. Payback = (cost − rebate) ÷ yearly saving; the 20-year figure has no price increases or discounting.

Moncton at a glance: standard upgrades for a 1966–1980 house

Detached, about 1,600 sq ft over a full basement, two storeys, with the era's typical insulation (attic R-20, walls RSI 2.1, uninsulated basement walls, double-glazed windows). Savings use the price of one more unit of energy; costs are installed ranges where we could verify one.

Gas-heated (mid-efficiency furnace)
UpgradeSaved a yearCost and rebatePayback20 years
Attic insulationR-20 → R-60 over 800 sq ft $1304.1 GJ · 4.3% $1,200–$1,960rebate $320 6.7–13 years $2,620
Wall insulationR-10 exterior insulation: RSI 2.1 → 3.9 over 1,580 sq ft $2959.3 GJ · 9.7% get a quoterebate $1,780 enter a cost $5,940
Basement wall insulationRSI 0.7 → 3.5 over 890 sq ft of wall $47014.7 GJ · 15.3% get a quoterebate $890 enter a cost $9,390
New windows15 windows: U 2.86 → 1.22 $2758.6 GJ · 9.0% $12,000–$18,000rebate $750 41–63 years $5,500
Air sealingA 20% cut in air leakage (NRCan: about 25% of heat loss) $1153.6 GJ · 3.8% $350–$1,500rebate $250 under 1 to 11 years $2,290
Thermostat setback3.0 °C lower for 8 hours a day $1855.8 GJ · 6.0% $0 right away $3,670
Electrically heated (baseboards)
UpgradeSaved a yearCost and rebatePayback20 years
Attic insulationR-20 → R-60 over 800 sq ft $2104.1 GJ · 4.3% $1,200–$1,960rebate $320 4.2–7.9 years $4,160
Wall insulationR-10 exterior insulation: RSI 2.1 → 3.9 over 1,580 sq ft $4709.3 GJ · 9.7% get a quoterebate $1,780 enter a cost $9,430
Basement wall insulationRSI 0.7 → 3.5 over 890 sq ft of wall $74514.7 GJ · 15.3% get a quoterebate $890 enter a cost $14,910
New windows15 windows: U 2.86 → 1.22 $4358.6 GJ · 9.0% $12,000–$18,000rebate $750 26–40 years $8,730
Air sealingA 20% cut in air leakage (NRCan: about 25% of heat loss) $1803.6 GJ · 3.8% $350–$1,500rebate $250 under 1 to 6.9 years $3,640
Thermostat setback3.0 °C lower for 8 hours a day $2905.8 GJ · 6.0% $0 right away $5,830

The house needs about 96.1 GJ of heat a year here. Walls in this era already hold about RSI 2.1, so dense-packing gains nothing and the table shows R-10 of exterior insulation instead. Wall and basement prices start blank because we couldn't verify a 2025–2026 Canadian cost; the 20-year column shows what each upgrade is worth to compare with a quote.

Rebates for these upgrades in New Brunswick

Evaluation-first incentives through NB Power's Total Home Energy Savings Program, with published per-square-foot insulation rates and fixed equipment amounts; free upgrades for households under $70,000.

Attic insulation

NB Power Total Home Energy Savings Open
Attic — Minimum to add R-15, Maximum post-upgrade R-60. Incentive (dollars per square foot): R-15 added $0.40; R-20 $0.45; R-40 $0.65; R-60 $0.85 (intermediate amounts paid between rows).
Conditions: Register first and have the initial Home Energy Evaluation ($99 + HST, covering initial and final evaluations) before buying or installing anything; complete recommended upgrades within 9 months; final evaluation with the same Certified Energy Advisor; keep receipts. Legal property owner; house up to three storeys and under 600 m²; detached, side-by-side or row homes, or mini/mobile homes on a permanent foundation. Insulate at least 20% of the ceiling area; replace any…
Deadline: Complete upgrades and final evaluation within 9 months of the initial evaluation.
Program details · official page ↗ · checked October 8, 2026

Wall insulation

NB Power Total Home Energy Savings Open
Exterior/Main Walls — Minimum to add R-7.5, Maximum post-upgrade R-30: R-7.5 $1.125; R-10 $1.25; R-20 $1.75; R-30 $2.25 (dollars per square foot).
Conditions: Register first and have the initial Home Energy Evaluation ($99 + HST, covering initial and final evaluations) before buying or installing anything; complete recommended upgrades within 9 months; final evaluation with the same Certified Energy Advisor; keep receipts. Legal property owner; house up to three storeys and under 600 m²; detached, side-by-side or row homes, or mini/mobile homes on a permanent foundation. Insulate at least 20% of the wall area.
Deadline: Complete upgrades and final evaluation within 9 months of the initial evaluation.
Program details · official page ↗ · checked October 8, 2026

Basement wall insulation

NB Power Total Home Energy Savings Open
Basement/Crawlspace Walls — Minimum to add R-10, Maximum post-upgrade R-30: R-10 $1.00; R-20 $1.50; R-30 $2.00 per sq ft. Basement header: R-20 $1.00; R-30 $2.00; R-40 $3.00. Basement slab: R-3.5 $0.55; R-10 $1.20; R-20 $2.20. Exposed floor: R-10 $1.00; R-20 $2.00; R-30 $3.00.
Conditions: Register first and have the initial Home Energy Evaluation ($99 + HST, covering initial and final evaluations) before buying or installing anything; complete recommended upgrades within 9 months; final evaluation with the same Certified Energy Advisor; keep receipts. Legal property owner; house up to three storeys and under 600 m²; detached, side-by-side or row homes, or mini/mobile homes on a permanent foundation. Insulate at least 20% of the component area.
Deadline: Complete upgrades and final evaluation within 9 months of the initial evaluation.
Program details · official page ↗ · checked October 8, 2026

Air sealing

NB Power Total Home Energy Savings Open
Air leakage reduction 10%: $250; 15%: $350; 20%: $450; 25%: $550 (sliding scale between 10 and 25%).
Conditions: Register first and have the initial Home Energy Evaluation ($99 + HST, covering initial and final evaluations) before buying or installing anything; complete recommended upgrades within 9 months; final evaluation with the same Certified Energy Advisor; keep receipts. Legal property owner; house up to three storeys and under 600 m²; detached, side-by-side or row homes, or mini/mobile homes on a permanent foundation. Homes at 3 ACH or less at the initial evaluation aren't…
Deadline: Complete upgrades and final evaluation within 9 months of the initial evaluation.
Program details · official page ↗ · checked October 8, 2026

Windows and doors

NB Power Total Home Energy Savings Open
Windows, doors & skylights: $50 — ENERGY STAR (keep the stickers that come on your windows).
Conditions: Register first and have the initial Home Energy Evaluation ($99 + HST, covering initial and final evaluations) before buying or installing anything; complete recommended upgrades within 9 months; final evaluation with the same Certified Energy Advisor; keep receipts. Legal property owner; house up to three storeys and under 600 m²; detached, side-by-side or row homes, or mini/mobile homes on a permanent foundation.
Deadline: Complete upgrades and final evaluation within 9 months of the initial evaluation.
Program details · official page ↗ · checked October 8, 2026

Common questions in Moncton

Does attic insulation pay for itself in Moncton?

For a typical detached house of about 1,600 sq ft (149 m²) built between 1966 and 1980, going from R-20 to R-60 saves about $130 a year with a mid-efficiency gas furnace and $210 with electric baseboards, counted at the price of one more unit of energy. At HomeStars' $1.50–$2.45 per sq ft (about $1,200–$1,960) and a $320 rebate, simple payback is 6.7–13 years (4.2–7.9 years for an electrically heated house). Attics with less than R-20 save more.

What insulation rebates are open in Moncton?

As of October 8, 2026: Attic insulation: NB Power Total Home Energy Savings (Attic — Minimum to add R-15, Maximum post-upgrade R-60) Wall insulation: NB Power Total Home Energy Savings (Exterior/Main Walls — Minimum to add R-7.5, Maximum post-upgrade R-30: R-7.5 $1.125; R-10 $1.25; R-20 $1.75; R-30 $2.25 (dollars per square ) Basement wall insulation: NB Power Total Home Energy Savings (Basement/Crawlspace Walls — Minimum to add R-10, Maximum post-upgrade R-30: R-10 $1.00; R-20 $1.50; R-30 $2.00 per sq ft). Conditions apply (most need an EnerGuide evaluation before the work); the calculator counts the smallest amount for each and lets you switch it off.

How much insulation should an attic have in Moncton?

NRCan's Keeping the Heat In recommends about R-60 (RSI 10.6) for an attic in climate zone 6, which covers Moncton at 4,514 degree-days. The National Building Code minimum for a new house here is R-49.2 without a heat recovery ventilator. Our calculator caps its default target at R-60.

Are new windows worth it for energy savings in Moncton?

Rarely on energy alone. Replacing 15 double-glazed windows with ENERGY STAR models saves about $275 a year in a gas-heated house and $435 with electric heat, against $12,000–$18,000 at HomeStars' $800–$1,200 a window: payback 41–63 years. Replace windows when they fail or for comfort; air sealing and attic insulation pay back much faster.

How much do air sealing and a thermostat setback save in Moncton?

Cutting air leakage by 20% saves about $115 a year in a typical gas-heated house here (NRCan: about a quarter of heat loss is air leakage), and turning the thermostat down 3 °C for 8 hours a night saves about $185 a year (NRCan: about 2% per degree over eight hours). Heat pumps should be set back no more than 2 °C.

How we calculate this

1. Heat saved by insulation and windows

heat saved (GJ/yr) = area × (1/RSI before − 1/RSI after) × 4,514 degree-days × 86,400 s ÷ 10⁹ × F

F is a conservative factor: 0.75 above grade (the sun, people and appliances supply some heat, and no installation is perfect) and 0.4 for basement walls (most of the wall is below grade, where the ground stays far warmer than winter air). Windows use U-values instead of 1/RSI.

2. Typical starting points

  • Attic: R-12 before 1966, R-20 (1966–80), R-28 (1981–95), R-40 (1996–2010), R-50 (2011+). Target: NRCan's retrofit recommendation for climate zone 6, capped at R-60.
  • Walls: RSI 0.7 (empty, before 1946), 1.4 (1946–65), 2.1 (1966–95), 3.0 (1996–2010), 3.4 (2011+). Dense-packing a 2×4 cavity gives about RSI 2.1 (cellulose is RSI 0.63 per 25.4 mm, NRCan Table 3-1); R-10 of exterior insulation adds RSI 1.76.
  • Basement walls: RSI 0.7 before 1981 (bare concrete plus the soil against it), 2.1 for 1981–2010, 3.5 since; target RSI 3.5 (R-20).
  • Windows: 12% of floor area (1.2 m² each), single with storm before 1966, double clear 1966–95, double low-e after.

These starting values are AuditYourHome planning assumptions for a typical house of each era, not survey results: we could not verify a Canadian table of insulation levels by year built. Change them to match your house; an EnerGuide evaluation measures them.

3. Air sealing

Without a blower-door number we use NRCan's statement that typically about 25% of heat loss is air leakage: saving = 25% × reduction × heating need × 0.75. With your EnerGuide result (ACH50), everyday leakage is ACH50 ÷ 20, near the conservative end of the 10–25 range used in the field, and:

heat saved = drop in natural air changes × house volume × 1.21 kJ/m³·°C × degree-days × 24 ÷ 10⁶ × 0.75

We assume a 20% reduction (15% if the house is already under 4 ACH50); rebate programs pay for measured cuts of 10%, 20% and 30%.

4. Thermostat setbacks

NRCan: “A drop of 1°C (2°F) over an eight-hour period can save about 2 percent on your heating energy consumption.” Saving = 2% × degrees × hours ÷ 8. Heat pumps are limited to a 2 °C setback, NRCan's advice, because deep setbacks can bring on backup heat.

5. Caps, overlap and your bills

No single measure may save more than 35% of the heating need, and all of them together no more than 60%. Measures overlap (a better attic leaves less heat for new windows to save), so the combined saving is 1 − (1 − a)(1 − b)…, always less than the simple sum. If you enter bills, every saving is scaled by how your use compares with a typical house (between 0.5× and 1.6×).

6. Dollars, rebates and payback

payback (years) = (installed cost − rebate) ÷ yearly saving at the price of one more unit of energy

Rebates use each program's lowest published amount per unit (per home, per window, per sq ft or per sq ft × R-value added), only for programs open today and only where your heating fuel qualifies; you can switch each one off. The 20-year saving is the yearly saving × 20, with no price inflation or discounting. Where we could not verify a 2025–2026 installed cost (walls, basements, exterior insulation), the cost starts blank: enter your quote.

More for Moncton

Heating and hot water costs in MonctonWhat heating, hot water and air conditioning cost at your local prices, and what each heating system would cost instead.Home health check in MonctonRadon results, winter humidity and window condensation, smoke and CO alarm rules, well water and mould.Appliance running costs in MonctonWhat your fridge, dryer, freezer and other appliances cost to run at your local electricity price, and what a newer model saves.
Build your upgrade plan → All home services in Moncton Home energy audits in MonctonAttic insulation inspections in MonctonBlower door tests in MonctonThermal imaging in Moncton New Brunswick rebates and programs

Sources

Prices and programs checked October 8, 2026. Climate: NRCan HOT2000 (Moncton International) for heating and ECCC 1981–2010 normals (Moncton) for cooling and temperatures.

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