Natural gas prices have been falling, and that’s good news for customers who use gas for heating. If winter temperatures are normal, we expect home heating bills will be about 12% lower than last year.
We still want you to conserve energy, so here are some suggestions:  

• Set the thermostat at 68 degrees during the day and 60 degrees when you go to bed.
• Dirty filters make furnaces work harder and use more energy, so replace them every month.
• Open shades and drapes during the day, and close them at night.
• Caulk and weather-strip spaces around doors and windows.
• Keep drapes/furniture away from radiators and baseboard heaters.
  

For more energy-saving ideas, visit conEd.com/thepowerofgreen.

You deserve to get the most for your energy dollar, so consider the following:

Spread energy costs evenly over a 12-month period with our Level Payment Plan. For more information, visit conEd.com/levelpayment.

Purchase energy from independent suppliers with PowerYourWay and find out if you qualify for a seven-percent PowerMove discount. For details, visit poweryourway.com.

Ask about our special payment agreements and extensions if you are having financial difficulties. Call 1-800-75-CONED or visit conEd.com/managemybill.

• We have more than 4,300 miles gas pipelines in New York City and Westchester County.
• Signs of a gas leak include an unpleasant, rotten egg odor, a white cloud, mist, fog, or bubbles in standing water, and a roaring, hissing, or whistling.
• If you think there is a gas leak, leave your home immediately and take others with you. If the odor is faint, open the windows before you leave. If outside, get well away from the area.
• Once you are a safe distance away, call 1-800-75-CONED (1-800-752-6633). National Grid gas customers should call 1-718-643-4050.
• DO NOT strike a match, smoke, use the phone, turn lights or appliances on or off, or start a car. This could produce sparks that might cause the gas to explode.

The greatest risk to underground pipelines is accidental damage during excavation. The slightest scratch, scrape, dent, or gauge can result in a gas leak, resulting in a fire or explosion. Before you dig, the law requires you to call 811 2 to 10 days in advance. Utility companies will mark the approximate location of the lines at no charge to you.

Markers with the name and phone number of the pipeline operator are used sometimes to show where a pipeline is located.

Con Edison continuously monitors and inspects its gas system. For information about our Integrity Management Plan, visit conEd.com/customercentral/gassafety.asp. For information on pipelines, visit www.npms.phmsa.dot.gov.

Won’t You Help?

Our EnergyShare fund, which is administered by HeartShare Human Services of New York, helps income-eligible customers pay outstanding Con Edison bills. We match every dollar contributed to EnergyShare by caring customers, friends of Con Edison, and Con Edison employees. Please mail your tax-deductible contribution to EnergyShare, P.O. Box 713, Buffalo, NY, 14240-0713. Customers can also add exactly $1 to their monthly bill for an automatic donation.

Con Edison Seeks Gas-Rate Increase

On November 6, 2009, Con Edison filed a request for new gas rates with the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) to begin October 1, 2010.

Con Edison offered two proposals to the PSC. The first is a three-year rate plan that would increase delivery rates approximately $115.5 million each year of the plan. Under the proposal, a typical residential heating customer paying $242 per month would see an increase of $16 (6.6%). A typical business paying $390 per month would see an increase of $17 (4.4%).

If the PSC does not adopt the three-year plan, the company proposes a one-year plan that would increase gas delivery revenues by $160.8 million in October 2010. Under this proposal, a typical residential heating customer paying $242 per month would see an increase of about $22, or a 9.1% rise. A typical business paying $390 per month would see an increase of about $26, or a 6.7% rise.

Con Edison’s three-year plan will provide our 1.1 million natural-gas customers with more stable and predictable base rates. The proposals support the company’s commitment to reliability and safety.

The PSC may approve, modify or reject any or all of the proposed tariff changes. Among other things, the commission’s determinations may require revisions of the proposed amount of the increases applicable to particular classifications of service, or changes in rates applicable to those classifications for which no increase is proposed by the Company. For more information, visit conEd.com/publicissues/.

Q: What is an appropriate, but energy-saving temperature, for your refrigerator?

A: 40 F.

Make bill paying easy. Use e*bill, Pay-by-Internet, or our Direct Payment Plan. Visit www.conEd.com/customercentral.

You can choose Green Power today for a greener tomorrow. For more information contact the NYS Public Service Commission, 1-866-GRN-POWR.