WATERLOO - It was love at first sight when Elaine King laid eyes on her Logan Avenue home 15 years ago.

Stone columns adorned the exterior, and intricate plaster work highlighted the dining room ceiling of the house, constructed in 1919.

Unfortunately, those antique architectural features come with a trade-off - drafty doors and poorly insulated walls. In the winter, King's heating bill averages $530 a month, more than she can afford working as a janitor. But thanks to free weatherization services from Operation Threshold, King should soon see an increase in energy efficiency. The program provides up to $10,000 in household repairs and upgrades for clients in need.

"Sometimes I have to let other bills go just so I can pay my electric bill," said King, who shares her home with three of her adult children. "This will give me a chance to maybe even save a little money, and maybe do some more projects around the house."

Operation Threshold started offering weatherization services in 1975 through a pilot program. The initiative was officially adopted four years later. In 2009, 202 properties received upgrades in Black Hawk, Grundy and Buchanan counties.

"We insulate the homes, put new water heaters in there, put in new furnaces - anything that is needed to improve the energy efficiency of the home," said Jeff Roe, housing director with Operation Threshold. "We also look at the health and safety of the building, so we do checks for mold and air quality. We want people healthy and happy in their homes."

Evaluator Joe Ambrose examined King's home with a fine-tooth comb last week. The Operation Threshold employee tested the efficiency of the house's furnace, water heater, stove, fridge and deep freeze. He also examined the structure's walls and attic. Some of the repairs ordered for the property include increased insulation, installation of a bathroom fan and the addition of a heat run into a basement bedroom.

"Overall, this one looks pretty good," Ambrose said. "Some homes we've been in don't have a working furnace or they have dangerous levels of carbon monoxide. It can get pretty bad."

The program is open to low-income homeowners and renters. Applicants are placed on a waiting list. Elderly and disabled clients, as well as residents with excessively high energy costs, are often given priority. Houses that are for sale, are undergoing remodeling or have leaky roofs are not eligible. Every dollar Operation Threshold invests saves around $1.80 in energy costs.

King, whose husband, Charles, died four years ago, says she feels blessed her home was selected for the program.

"I don't like taking that big amount to MidAmerican every month," she said. "It just feels like a waste."