NEW YORK, NY –As a busy family man and professional, Seth Guthartz values convenience in managing his family’s energy usage and expense.
Guthartz has found that when a New York City summer turns sultry, Con Edison’s coolNYC program helps him manage the settings on the three room air conditioners in his family’s Manhattan apartment. He estimates that he can save up to $50 a month on his electric bill with the program.
“The program just makes it easy to determine what temperature is comfortable and how much energy you’re using,” Guthartz said. “People are always looking for ways to save money and time and this program is a big help.”
The program connects customers with smart technology to control their room A/Cs from their computer or mobile device. Con Edison enhanced the program this year to let participating customers earn gift cards.
During a hot spell, Con Edison can adjust a participating customer’s temperature setting to reduce energy usage. The customer can override Con Edison’s adjustment.
Working with customers to manage their air conditioning usage during hot weather helps Con Edison keep power flowing to its 3.4 million customers and maintain its industry-leading reliability.
Guthartz, an emergency manager with the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, has taken part in coolNYC for four years. He said he usually sets the temperature on his A/Cs about 30 minutes before he gets home.
If he and his wife are out with their two children at night, he uses his mobile device to make sure the kids’ rooms are cool when they get home so that they can get to sleep quickly and comfortably.
Another member of the Guthartz family also benefits from the program. That’s Coco, the family’s 7-year-old chocolate Labrador retriever. Seth Guthartz said that on particularly hot days, he puts Coco in a room when he leaves for work and then uses his computer or mobile app to make sure the room stays comfortable.
In addition to coolNYC, Con Edison also pays a $20 rebate to customers who buy a new ENERGY STAR air conditioner. Replacing an old air conditioner with a new ENERGY STAR unit can reduce energy usage by 15 percent.