Yellowknife (Sep 26/03) - Cold weather means heating the home.

Heating the home means paying money. But some people don't want to pay hundreds of unnecessary extra dollars during the winter and are looking at ways of reducing those costs.

Sealing windows, adding insulation, finding those little holes where cold air seeps into the house: they're all ways that will help you save money by reducing the amount of heat you use this winter.

It's called winterizing your home, and Yellowknifers are gaining more awareness of what they can do.

"We're trying to make our house more energy efficient and save some money," said Dan Flokstra.

He and about 30 others were at an energy efficient seminar hosted by Arctic Energy Alliance on Saturday to pick up a few tips on improving their homes in time for winter.

"We have lots to do. We have drafts coming from outlets, windows, the fire place and the bathroom," Flokstra said, enumerating the areas that need fixing in his home.

He hopes to do some himself but knows he'll need professional help with other things.

"I think it will make a big difference in how much we pay for heating," Flokstra said.

Joanne McGrath was also at the seminar and also hopes to be able to save money.

"We already changed a lot. We redid the windows and now we need to do the doors. It's a big investment now, but in the long run, we hope to pay less on utilities so we can spend more for vacations," McGrath said.

She added that these repairs were necessary, and is glad they did them.

"If you're thinking of living in a house, you don't want money flying through spaces," McGrath said.

She admits she's also concerned about the greenhouse effect.

Terry King is also working on making his home more energy efficient.

"We sealed some spots up so there aren't too many air leaks but we still have a huge energy drain and we hope this seminar will help pinpoint the problem," King said.

The seminar also touched on saving money by getting the most out of appliances.

That aspect had McGrath hopeful. "It might be easier to do than changing the bigger things in the home," McGrath said.

Tips included only running full loads of dishes or laundry, not overloading or underloading.

Using cold water in the washer to rinse saves on the hot water bill.

As for the refrigerator, just by keeping it away from heat sources, like sunlight, the oven or dishwasher can help you save money.