NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - May 28, 2015) -  Con Edison crews have been hard at work getting the electric delivery system ready to handle summer heat waves this year, with the company investing $1.3 billion in new equipment installations and upgrades. The utility also reminds customers to conserve energy this summer, even though lower energy supply prices are expected to keep bills slightly lower than last year. 

"We do our work through the fall and winter to make sure our customers stay cool and safe each summer," said Craig Ivey, president of Con Edison. "We also remind them to conserve energy, take advantage of our energy efficiency incentives and follow simple steps to save money." (Click here to see B-roll video of company crews preparing the electrical system for the summer.)

Ready for Summer

Con Edison's summer enhancements include the installation of 5 network transformers; 41 overhead transformers; 34 underground feeder sections connecting manhole structures and transformer vaults; 266 overhead sections of power lines, and reinforcement of 28 feeders.

Power supplies are sufficient to meet this summer's expected electric demand. The electric peak-demand forecast for this summer in Con Edison's service area of New York City and Westchester County is 13,775 megawatts (MW). The record -- 13,322 MW -- was set on July 19, 2013 at 5 p.m.

Lower Bills Expected

Many Con Edison electric customers are likely to see lower bills this summer compared to last year due to lower supply prices. A typical New York City residential customer using 350 kWhrs per month can expect average monthly summer bills to decrease from $105.91 in 2014 to $103.34 this year, a drop of 2.4 percent. A typical Westchester residential customer using 500 kWhrs per month can expect average monthly summer bills to decrease from $135.50 in 2014 to $126.27 this year, a 6.8 percent decrease. A typical New York City business customer using 10,800 kWhrs and having a peak demand of 31 kWhrs per month, can expect average summer bills to remain basically unchanged ($2,450 in 2014 vs. $2,469 this year). 

Protection from Major Storms

The company is in the third year of a four-year, $1 billion fortification program developed after Hurricane Sandy to better protect New Yorkers from extremely harsh weather events.

This year an additional $360 million will be spent in New York City and Westchester County to help reduce customer outages during storms, including the installation of reclosers -- also known as "smart switches." The improvements also include the placement of thousands of sectionalizing fuses on the overhead system, and the continuation of installing protective barriers around critical equipment for flood protection.

Con Edison's post-Sandy storm hardening improvements have avoided more than 50,000 customer outages since the program began.

Conserve, Stay Cool and Save

Con Edison has a new energy-saving program for customers who cool their homes with central air conditioning. These customers can get an $85 rebate for certain energy-saving smart thermostats, under the "Bring Your Own Thermostat" program.

Con Edison customers with central air conditioning also have the option of a free smart thermostat, with installation to control their A/C systems remotely. The package has a value of $400. Each customer will also get a $25 thank you gift. Learn more at: Free Smart Thermostat.

The company estimates there are more than 6.5 million window air conditioners in New York City. Con Edison will also pay $20 to residential customers who purchase a new ENERGY STAR room air conditioner. Replacing an older room air conditioner with a new, more energy-efficient unit can reduce electricity usage by about 15 percent. For more information, visit Room AC Rebate.

Customers who cool their homes with room air conditioners can take advantage of a thermostat program that enables remote monitoring and control for those units.

Con Edison has an energy-saving program for everyone. To find out which programs are right for you, visit coned.com/energyefficiency/ or call 1-877-870-6118.

Report Your Outage

New features have been added to the mobile version of the conEd.com website, including a Storm Center with weather and social media integration. Customers can also download the free My conEdison app for iPhone and Android devices by visiting conEd.com/app. Both the mobile website and apps allow customers to report and check the status of a power problem, and view the company's interactive online outage map. They also allow customers to pay their bills, submit meter readings and manage their accounts while on the go.

Customers who prefer two-way communication via text can alert Con Edison that they are without electric power by text messaging. To learn more about this feature visit coned.com/mobileapp. Customers can also report downed power lines, outages, and check service restoration status at 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, or are presumed to be without power, will be called or texted by Con Edison with their estimated restoration times as they become available. 

Con Edison is a subsidiary of Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE: ED), one of the nation's largest investor-owned energy companies, with approximately $13 billion in annual revenues and $44 billion in assets. The utility provides electric, gas and steam service to more than three million customers in New York City and Westchester County, New York. For additional financial, operations and customer service information, visit us on the Web at conEd.com, at our green site, conEd.com/waystosave, or find us on Facebook at Con Edison.

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