Ice House shows need for heat help

HARTFORD — This winter many Connecticut families and individuals will try to survive in dark, frigid homes because they can’t afford the high cost of energy.

Operation Fuel will give people an opportunity to experience what it is like to live in a freezing home when they unveil their Ice House on Thursday, Jan. 24 at the Old State House in Hartford. The Ice House will be built the night before by a professional ice sculptor. This inaugural event is believed to be the first of its kind in Connecticut.

“We are going to be sitting on ice. We are going to be sitting within ice walls and we are going to feel what it is like not to have the heat and lights on,” said Brenda Watson, Executive Director of Operation Fuel, in a written statement.

Eversource Energy is the presenting sponsor. The Ice House will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Jan. 24 and people will have an opportunity to step inside the “home” to experience its freezing temperatures.

There are more than 320,000 Connecticut households that can’t afford their energy bills. This includes working families with young children and the elderly who are living on a fixed income.

In addition to Eversource Energy, sponsors will include iHeart Media; the Connecticut Energy Marketers Association; Empire Industries; and the Connecticut Power and Energy Society.

Sponsorships are available and volunteers are needed. For more information, contact Kim O’Brien Green at 860-243-2345, ext. 3303, or at icehousect@operationfuel.org. Additional sponsor and event information can be found by visiting http://www.operationfuel.org/ice-house/

Operation Fuel provides emergency energy assistance throughout Connecticut to lower-income working families and individuals, the elderly and disabled individuals who are not eligible for energy assistance from governmentfunded programs. Individuals who need energy assistance should call 211. For more information on Operation Fuel, or to make a donation, go to www.operationfuel.org