NEW YORK, NY — Con Edison announced today an electric delivery service rate filing with the New York State Public Service Commission today for new rates beginning January 1, 2016, which will support system reliability, storm hardening, better technology and online service enhancements. It would be the company’s first rate increase since April 1, 2012.
The plan seeks a revenue increase of $368 million, resulting in an average bill hike of 3.2 percent (7.2 percent for delivery), for customers throughout the company’s New York City and Westchester service area.
A typical bill for a Westchester residential customer using 450 kWh per month would rise from $114.98 to $119.68, a 4.1 percent increase (7.2 percent for delivery). For a typical commercial customer using 10,800 kWh per month with a peak demand of 30 kW, the monthly bill would rise from $2,173.08 to $2,236.71, a 2.9 percent increase (6.5 percent for delivery).
“This plan will adequately fund investment for the enhanced security, reliability and resiliency of the electric delivery system,” said Craig Ivey, president of Con Edison. “It also is designed to support better service through an improved website with greater mobile functionality and an expanded menu of self-service transactions, increasing accessibility for customers. We want to implement new programs and technologies while mitigating the impact on customer bills.”
Con Edison ill be in the last year of a four-year, $1 billion storm hardening plan in 2016. The company will continue its installation of submersible transformers that can withstand flooding underground and special overhead equipment that will minimize the duration of outages and the number of people affected.
The rate proposal also addresses transmission system upgrades, physical security improvements at major substations, and strengthening cybersecurity measures.
Part of the rate-proposal is the start of a multi-year smart meter plan, a two-way communication system that will allow customers to determine how they are using energy at any given time, helping them to better manage usage.
The technology’s ability to remotely communicate will:
- let control room operators know immediately if a customer is out-of-service;
- improve outage detection and reduce service restoration times;
- provide detailed meter info and readings customers can access at any time;
- facilitate integration of renewable customer-sited energy resources like solar;
- allow automated service activations; and
- improve voltage control, fostering system efficiencies and reducing carbon emissions.
We asked the folks at Con Edison a few questions:
Q. Would there be some sort of iphone app where a customer can monitor usage remotely?
A. The plan is to enable the capability for customers to have remote access capability. We have not determined as of yet with whether we will provide an App for customers to be able to monitor their energy usage remotely.
Q. Does any of this tie into some of the technology out there to remotely control appliances, lighting, etc?
A. This could be possible if the customer has a Home Area Network that is set up to trigger remote control of devices.
Q. Could any of this be used to offer Internet/WiFi service as an alternative to folks like Verizon and Cablevision?
A. No, this is not part of this project scope.
Q. If there are “automated service activations” does this all mean that service can be CUT remotely dues to non-payment of a bill?
A. Currently our PSC tariff requires us to inform customers in person when we shut off service for non-payment.
For more information visit: www.coned.com/2015-rate-filing.