Temperatures have slipped below the seasonal average making more work for furnaces. That increased power usage can also mean increased power bills for many people unless they find a way to heat more efficiently.

One way to do so is maintaining your furnace properly, while following best practices for heating. That includes limiting your traffic in and out of the house, having the doors closed as soon as possible, and upgrading insulation, house wrap, and windows.

Meanwhile, veterinarian Greg Douglas with Prairie Animal Health Centre suggests pet owners reduce the amount of time their animals spend outdoors in this cold.

Extreme cold warnings cover all of Saskatchewan and Alberta and most of British Columbia. The bone-chilling cold temperatures and windchills could make it feel like minus-55 Celsius.

Douglas says for dogs opt instead for more frequent trips to still allow time for exercise.  He says a raised paw is a sure sign that an animal has been outside too long and to bring them somewhere warm immediately. (DiscoverWeyburn.com)