Nov. 6--Southwest Idaho tends to have relatively mild winters, but the colder months can still wreak havoc on your home energy bill.

"People really don't realize how inefficient their home is," said Todd McGiverin, owner of Ecohome Solutions, a local contractor specializing in home improvements that enhance the comfort, energy efficiency and air quality of your home. "Everybody knows what good miles per gallon on their car is, but I've worked with some families who are paying $2,000 or $3,000 (annually) to heat their home, and they never really understood that was a lot."

Get your home winterized to save energy and money this season with these simple, and often do-it-yourself, tips from local experts.

CLOSE IT UP

Before you crank up the thermostat, make sure your home isn't just letting all that warm air out.

"The average home has close to an open door when you add up all the cracks and holes, and it's usually up in the attic or in the crawl space," McGiverin said. "So, if we're going into the attic or crawl space, we may look for the areas where they have a bathtub or a toilet, because often times when they put a bathtub in, they cut a hole in the plywood to access it, and then they leave it there.

"We also go up into the attic and look around every can light, along the top of the interior walls," he added.

When you find holes, McGiverin recommends getting a tube of caulk or foam insulation and running it along the top seams of the interior walls from the attic. Or if there is a hole under your bathtub, cut out a piece of plywood and patch it up from your crawl space. Then use foam insulation to seal the seams.

Another often overlooked source of heat leaks is around the exterior of your home's crawlspace.

"Close your crawlspace vents. You can usually access these from the exterior of your house," said Celeste Becia, leader of residential energy-efficiency programs for Idaho Power. "Some people will even say keep them closed year-round to keep out critters and heat in the summer."

CHECK FOR LEAKS

When thinking about where heat can escape from your home, many people think about doors and windows, but there are a lot of other smaller leaks that can add up, according to Karen Meyer, owner of Handyman Connection in the Treasure Valley.

"Forty-five percent of your utility cost is associated with heating and cooling costs," Meyer said. "So if you check all infiltration points, feeling around those areas, where all the duct work runs in your house, there are lots of opportunities for duct work to have leaks in it, to not be connected properly.