Building energy tight houses is a sinkhole for your money

The average return on investment for upgrading  energy tightness in your home or shop is minus 9.5%.     (National Bureau of Economic Research).  That's not a plus, it's a minus 9.5%.  Savings were less than half the prediction and not more cost effective than building more power plants.

You may never see those savings.
But will pay plenty today.

The three R's that help you think (readin'  writin' and 'rithmatic) have been replaced by three R's to manage your behaviour (reduce, re-use, re-cycle).   I like them both but the second triplet is subordinate.

I see it in the construction business.  Houses went from 2x4 to 2x6 walls and that was okay.  Then vapour barriers were added and that was sort of okay for stopping the breeze but trapped moisture and called for powered make-up air  and double skins on the newest houses.  Now advanced green-thinking people have 2x8 walls and I've seen triple walls that are two feet thick on a summer cottage.  The end height of trusses was just mandated up a few inches and adds 5% to 10% to the cost of every roof in Canada.  Houses are more expensive for many reasons but mandated spending to save a few bucks is a big factor, pleasing to elites and costing you and me.

Post idea sourced at Powerline.