Remember how strangely warm it was last week? Temperatures topped 50 degrees last week, but the National Weather Service predicts that sustained winds of 15-25 miles per hour will make it feel like 45 below zero this week.

Did you get that? 45 degrees BELOW zero.

Everyone from meteorologists to emergency personnel is recommending that Mainers top off the fuel reserves and stay home - but what if your home isn't all that warm? Some homeowners keep the thermostat low on purpose to conserve fuel and save money. Others can't get the house comfortable no matter how much they crank the heat.

Either way, energy efficiency is the solution.

Heat flows through your home in two ways: transmission and air leakage. You notice transmission every time you feel like a cold wall or window is sucking the heat out of your body. You're not imagining things; your body literally radiates heat toward that cold surface, and the colder it is outside, the more heat you lose. You notice air leakage when you feel a draft, or see the curtains move on a windy day, but there are plenty of air leaks you never see. In fact, all the tiny cracks in your home's shell probably add up to the equivalent on an open window. And no one wants a window open when it's 45 below outside.

Insulation and air sealing slow both kinds of heat flow to keep your home warmer, no matter how cold it gets outside. Learn more with a FREE energy consult from Evergreen Home Performance, and discover how cost-effective energy efficiency can be.