Company Urges Customers to Stay Safe, Conserve Energy, Save Money
Con Edison is mobilizing in advance of the extreme heat expected this week. The company is activating its Emergency Response Center on Wednesday in preparation for the upcoming high temperatures and potential thunderstorms.
Crews are working 24/7 and ready to respond to any underground or overhead power problems caused by the extreme weather.
The company urges customers to use energy efficiently and take steps to stay safe and comfortable.
Heat, humidity and increased demand for electricity to power air conditioners can cause strain on the system and may lead to scattered outages. The coming days could also bring thunderstorms, which can affect the overhead delivery system.
Con Edison makes robust, strategic investments in its electric delivery system to prepare for summer. These investments are especially important as extreme weather becomes more frequent and severe.
The company urges members of the public to stay away from any wires that are downed during storms. Call your local police department or 1-800-75-CONED (1-800-752-6633) to report downed wires.
Con Edison may assign workers to guard downed wires and keep people and pets away from them. These workers may be in unmarked vehicles, but they carry Con Edison identification.
Report an Outage
Con Edison may send emails and text messages to customers, reminding them to be prepared and to report an outage. Customers can sign up for text alerts at coned.com/text.
Customers can also report outages and check service restoration status at conEd.com/reportoutage, with Con Edison’s mobile app for iOS or Android devices, or by calling 1-800-75-CONED (1-800-752-6633). Customers will receive an estimated time of restoration based on damage assessments, outage conditions, crew availability, and restoration progress, and may change as crews assess damage and complete repairs.
The company also sends e-mails to customers to communicate energy-saving tips and information on reporting outages.
Customers who report outages will receive updates from Con Edison with their estimated restoration times as they become available. Information on outages and restoration times is also available at the Con Edison outage map. Watch an outage map tutorial video here.
Conservation Makes a Difference
During extreme heat, conserving energy, especially from 2pm to 10pm, when demand is highest, helps save you money and protects the grid. These are the most effective tips to keep your costs down all summer:
- Keep shades, blinds, and curtains closed. About 40 percent of unwanted heat comes through windows.
- Limit AC and appliance use. If you have multiple air conditioners, use only one. And if necessary, try to run just one large appliance at a time.
- Use fans with or instead of AC. Fans help cool and circulate air, so you can rely less on air conditioning to stay comfortable.
- Set AC to a higher temperature. Keep your AC at the highest comfortable temperature to save energy and money.
- Turn off AC when you’re away. Switch off your AC when you leave and set a timer to cool your home 30 minutes before you return.
- Hold off on charging your electric vehicle. Charge your EV or plug-in hybrid after 10 p.m., unless necessary.
Con Edison offers additional energy savings tips.
Energy Efficiency Programs
The best way for customers to save on their bills is to manage their usage. Con Edison offers a range of energy efficiency programs that pay customers who make energy saving upgrades.
Programs are available for residential customers, those with low incomes, small businesses, large commercial and industrial properties, and multi-family buildings.
Business customers can also earn incentives from Con Edison’s smart usage programs under which they agree to conserve at times when the demand for power is high.
Cooling Center Availability
New York City cooling centers will be activated on Wednesday. Find the latest information on locations and hours of availability at the following sites: New York City, New York State and visit the Westchester County website for more information.
Customers can follow Con Edison on X or Facebook for general outage updates, safety tips and storm preparation information.
