Wyoming artists may feel the chill this winter

Artists have to fill some basic needs in order to create. We need food, water, some sort of roof over our heads, and a heating source to keep us warm. The costs of these necessities are rising rapidly. As you may have heard, utility costs this winter may rise as much as 70 percent. If you can afford the fuel, you might want to go to this Casper conference to get some tips on how to survive the winter without going broke (or freezing into an ice sculpture in your studio):

The coming winter may be one of the most expensive heating seasons to date. Some natural gas utilities' rates will increase as much as 50-70%. That means if you paid $200 per month for heat last year, you might pay $340 per month this year. To help prepare consumers and community leaders to deal with these rate increases, the Wyoming Public Service Commission is holding the 2008-2009 Winter Heating Conference on August 20 from 1-5 p.m. at Casper's Best Western Ramkota Inn. The event is free and open to the public. For more information on the conference, improving your energy efficiency, and energy assistance programs available in Wyoming, go to http://psc.state.wy.us/htdocs/energy_assistance.htm.