Mike Holmes' Best Tips For Preventing Heat Loss & Wasted Energy At Home

Regardless of what kind of heating system you use, that first bill of the winter season probably always makes you gasp a little bit. If you're looking for tips to help you save energy in winter and cut down on heating costs, why not turn to one of HGTV's most trusted personalities for advice — Mike Holmes? After all, Holmes has over 35 years of experience as a professional contractor, meaning he has valuable insight into almost any aspect of the home, including the best ways to prevent heat loss during winter.

According to Holmes, one of the first and most valuable things you can do is to order a home inspection. Although most people associate having a home inspection with preparing to buy or sell a house, you can hire an inspector anytime. If you specifically ask a home inspector to check areas that are affecting your house's energy efficiency, the professional can look at furnace and air conditioner performances, as well as other factors that affect your energy usage. Holmes also recommends that inspectors use thermal cameras to make it easier to find hot and cold spots behind walls, on floors, and on ceilings that could indicate areas of heat loss. Other tips Holmes suggests to prevent energy waste include upgrading insulation and eliminating air gaps in the property.

If your heating bill is through the roof, having a home inspector or a heating-and-cooling technician check your house's insulation levels can be a big benefit, according to Mike Holmes. The professional will look for any gaps that need more insulation. Adding insulation can provide up to a 15% benefit on heating and cooling costs. If you have an older home, chances are higher that you probably need an upgrade to your level of insulation. Older homes often lack insulation or suffer from materials that have deteriorated over time. New insulative materials slow the transfer of heat, meaning your furnace won't have to work as hard to replace heated air naturally lost to the outside air.

Holmes says the primary area you should consider when adding insulation is the attic. He explains, via his blog, "More heat escapes through your attic than anywhere else in your house. Adding insulation to your attic can save you a good amount of money in energy costs." Holmes recommends using 10 to 13 inches of insulation thickness in the attic.

He says you should also place insulation in your crawlspace space if your home has one. Spray foam is probably the best choice in the crawl space because it provides a vapor barrier, too. Other areas where you can add insulation and gain a benefit include the basement and exterior walls, according to Holmes. He recommends hiring a professional to install any type of insulation, especially spray foam.

When you hire a home inspector to help with measuring your home's energy efficiency, the inspector can check the seals on windows and doors to look for any issues with air leaks. Holmes says, via Facebook, "Reducing the amount of air leaking in and out of your home is a cost-effective way to cut heating and cooling costs, improve durability, increase comfort, and create a healthier indoor environment." He recommends homeowners perform a quick DIY inspection themselves before winter arrives. Look for any items like broken glass, missing caulk, or loose siding. If you notice drafts inside the house, Holmes says this is a key sign of potential heat loss around windows and doors. You might need new weatherstripping and caulk to reduce the wasted energy. 

Holmes also notes that air leakage problems could be occurring because you have older windows installed. To fix this, you might need to buy new windows to gain improved energy efficiency or look at ways to easily insulate your windows in the winter as a temporary solution. Replacing old windows could result in a reduction in energy costs of up to 13%.

Other areas that could be a source of air leaks are skylights, Holmes says. If the skylight ever leaks water or shows condensation, this is a major clue that it is also leaking air or has damaged flashing around it. Recessed lights with wiring in the attic can also be areas of air leakage and heat loss. Proper installation from a pro prevents this issue.