Just in time for the onslaught of cold, and perhaps appropriately on a blustery Thursday, Reston homeowner Marti Fucile's townhome was the setting for an unusual award ceremony on Nov. 9.

The prize, $5,000 in contractor services for home energy "retrofits" was awarded to Fucile, who is a schoolteacher in Vienna.

She had already made improvements on her own, but found her home was very cold in some spots and warm in others.  She entered the LEAP-sponsored Northern Virginia Home Energy Makeover Contest mostly to receive the free online energy report which provides information on how her home uses energy. 

As a winner, Fucile was surprised to learn that among other things, there was little or no insulation in several key locations in her basement, causing cold to pour in and undermine her home's heating system. 

LEAP (Local Energy Alliance Program) is a non-profit that helps people discern and solve energy, health, and comfort issues in their homes. With the support of Dominion Power, they awarded three area homeowners, including Fucile, with valuable home energy solutions.

Fucile is happily anticipating a much cozier (and less costly) winter once the improvements are made in just a few weeks. For more information, go to Leap-va.org.