Con Edison Reminds Customers to Conserve and Save
Crews Responding to Scattered Outages
As the hottest stretch of this summer enters its third day, Con Edison urges customers to conserve energy while company forces continue responding to scattered outages in New York City and Westchester County.
The company has mobilized 4,000 electric operations personnel and support staff workers to respond to the heat wave. They are working in manholes, bucket trucks and on the ground, as temperatures rise into the 90s for a third straight day.
Con Edison reminds customers they can save energy and money by using their air conditioners and other appliances wisely. (To see a video on saving energy, click here: https://bcove.video/2xZN1pw),
- Turn off air conditioners, lights and other appliances when not at home and use a timer to turn on your air conditioner about a half-hour before arriving home;
- Make sure air conditioner filters are clean so the units will run at peak efficiency;
- Set thermostats to the highest comfortable temperature. Each degree lower increases cooling costs by 6 percent;
- If you have a room air-conditioning unit, close off the rooms not being used; if you have central air, block the vents in vacant rooms;
- To reduce heat and moisture in your apartment or home, run appliances such as ovens, washing machines, dryers and dishwashers in the early morning or late at night when it’s generally cooler outside. Use a microwave to cook, or barbecue outside, if possible;
- Keep shades, blinds and curtains closed. About 40 percent of unwanted heat comes through windows. Simply drawing blinds and curtains, which act as a layer of insulation, can reduce heat in your apartment or home;
- Use fans instead of air conditioners, but be sure to leave windows open for ventilation. Fans use as little as one-tenth the energy as air conditioners.
Con Edison offers numerous programs to help customers save money and stay comfortable during the summer months. Con Edison offers $25 rebates to customers who purchase an approved ENERGY STAR-rated air conditioner.
Also, the Smart AC program lets customers with room air conditioners control their air conditioners remotely and earn rewards.
Customers with central air conditioning can get a $50 rebate for purchasing an approved smart thermostat. Customers who have a Con Edison electric account and central air conditioning or a Con Edison gas account and gas heating, a Wi-Fi network, and an eligible Nest or Honeywell Home smart thermostat, can receive an additional $85 by signing up for the smart thermostat Smart Usage Rewards program.
Con Edison urges customers who experience power loss to report outages at www.conEd.com/reportoutage. Customers who report outages will receive updates with their estimated restoration times as they become available. Customers can also check service restoration status at that web address or with our mobile app for iOS or Android devices, or by calling 1-800-75-CONED (1-800-752-6633). When calling, customers should report whether their neighbors also have lost power.
Customers can follow Con Edison on Twitter or like us on Facebook for general outage updates, safety tips and storm preparation information.