NEW YORK, NY — Con Edison customers have set a new high for the year for demand for power.
The company provided 12,766 megawatts of electricity at 5 p.m. today to customers in New York City and Westchester County, N.Y. Before today, the high for the year was 12,635 megawatts at 5 p.m. on Aug. 29. The all-time record of 13,322 megawatts was set at 5 p.m. on July 19, 2013.
Con Edison urges customers to conserve energy and save money by using energy wisely during hot spells. Customers can lower their bills by using air conditioning and other appliances efficiently.
The company has crews ready to respond to any power outages that occur. The high demand for power can cause electrical cables to overheat.
Customers can report outages and check service restoration status at www.conEd.com or by calling 1-800-75-CONED (1-800-752-6633). When reporting an outage, customers should have their Con Edison account number available, if possible, and report whether their neighbors also have lost power.
Customers who report outages will be called by Con Edison with their estimated restoration times as they become available. Stay on top of outages and power problems by signing up for text notifications or by viewing the company’s interactive online outage map. To sign up for text alerts, go to conEd.com/text.
With heavy thunderstorms possible tonight, the company offers these safety tips:
· Most importantly, do not touch downed wires because they might be live. If you see downed wires, call 1-800-CONED or your local police department.
· Be mindful that downed wires can be hidden from view by tree limbs, leaves or water.
If a power line falls on your car while you’re in it, stay inside the vehicle and wait for emergency personnel.
If your power goes out, disconnect or turn off appliances that would otherwise turn on automatically when service is restored. If several appliances start up at once, the electric circuits may overload.
Make sure your flashlights and any battery-operated radios or televisions are working. Have a supply of extra batteries.
Con Edison offers energy-efficiency programs for the hot weather season. The Smart AC Program connects customers with smart technology to control their room air conditioners from their computer or mobile device. Learn more by visiting: conedsmartac.com
Con Edison offers these conservation tips for heat spells:
- Close doors to keep cool air in and hot air out when the AC is running.
- Even when using AC, use ceiling and other fans for better circulation.
- Keep shades, blinds and curtains closed. About 40 percent of unwanted heat comes through windows.
- Turn off ACs, lights and other appliances when not at home and use a timer or smart technology to turn on your AC about a half-hour before arriving home.
- Keep AC filters clean.
- To reduce heat and moisture in your home, run appliances such as ovens, washing machines, dryers and dishwashers in the early morning or late at night.