Con Edison asks entire NYC customer base to conserve energy as heat wave worsens

No one wants a blackout.

Con Edison is asking its entire New York City customer base — all 3.6 million electric and 1.1 million gas customers (minus the ones who live in Westchester County) to conserve energy on Tuesday, as the utility braces for a heavily taxed grid on what could be the hottest day in a decade.

It’s day two of the heat wave, and it’s expected to be the hottest. Temperatures could hit 100 degrees in Central Park, which would mark the earliest time ever that happened. The heat wave is expected to ease just a bit on Wednesday ahead of potentially severe storms. It really breaks Thursday with highs near 80, 70s on Friday, but summer warmth continues after that, with highs closer to average into next week.  

Pop-up power outages have been problematic across the five boroughs amid the heat. Con Edison has had to reduce voltage to neighborhoods in parts of Queens and Brooklyn from time to time to secure service.

Con Edison is asking all of New York City customers to avoid using energy-intensive appliances such as washers, dryers, and microwaves during peak hours. The company also asks that people limit unnecessary air conditioning use. If you have two ACs, use one — and set it to the highest comfortable temperature.

People are also asked to avoid charging their electric vehicles if possible until repairs are made. It wasn’t immediately clear how long that might take.

Customers can report outages and check service restoration status at conEd.com/reportoutage, with Con Edison’s mobile app for iOS or Android devices, or by calling 1-800-75-CONED (1-800-752-6633). 

Tips to save energy

The utility offers the following energy- (and therefore, money-) saving tips on its website:

• Limit the use of multiple air conditioners whenever possible. If you have two A/Cs, use only one
• Set your air conditioner to the highest comfortable temperature. Every degree you lower the thermostat increases costs
• Wait to use energy-intensive appliances like dishwashers and laundry machines until late in the evening when demand typically goes down  
• Use only one large appliance at a time
• Even when using AC, use ceiling and other fans to provide additional cooling and better circulation
• Turn off AC units, lights and other appliances when not at home and use a timer to turn on your AC about a half-hour before arriving home 
• Keep shades, blinds and curtains closed. About 40% of unwanted heat comes through windows