diff --git a/binarycpython/utils/functions.py b/binarycpython/utils/functions.py
index dbf90f1139e80be0a615ea21c6d9a199635f5b41..60876ea0c3b80be464f1d3e6c3ae559c722c5d3b 100644
--- a/binarycpython/utils/functions.py
+++ b/binarycpython/utils/functions.py
@@ -8,39 +8,36 @@ Tasks:
     - TODO: change all prints to verbose_prints
 """
 
+import astropy.units as u
+import binarycpython.utils.moe_di_stefano_2017_data as moe_di_stefano_2017_data
+from binarycpython import _binary_c_bindings
+import bz2
+from collections import (
+    defaultdict,
+    OrderedDict,
+)
+from colorama import Fore, Back, Style
+import copy
 import datetime as dt
-import json
-import os
 import gc
-import tempfile
-import copy
-import humanize
+import gzip
 import inspect
+import h5py
+import humanize
+from io import StringIO
+import json
+import numpy as np
+import os
+import psutil
+import py_rinterpolate
 import re
+import resource
 import sys
 import subprocess
+import tempfile
 import time
 import types
-import resource
-import psutil
-from colorama import Fore, Back, Style
-
-from io import StringIO
 from typing import Union, Any
-from collections import (
-    defaultdict,
-    OrderedDict,
-)
-
-import h5py
-import numpy as np
-
-import astropy.units as u
-
-from binarycpython import _binary_c_bindings
-import binarycpython.utils.moe_di_stefano_2017_data as moe_di_stefano_2017_data
-
-import py_rinterpolate
 
 ########################################################
 # Unsorted
@@ -2258,3 +2255,16 @@ class BinaryCEncoder(json.JSONEncoder):
 
         # Let the base class default method raise the TypeError
         return json.JSONEncoder.default(self, o)
+
+def load_ensemble(filename):
+    """
+    Function to load an ensemeble file, even if it is compressed,
+    and return its contents to as a Python dictionary.
+    """
+    if(filename.endswith('.bz2')):
+        jfile = bz2.open(filename)
+    elif(filename.endswith('.gz')):
+        jfile = gzip.open(filename)
+    else:
+        jfile = open(filename)
+    return json.load(jfile)