Con Edison Urges Safety & Conservation as Weather Delivers a Double Hit

Con Edison is prepared to respond to a one-two punch from the weather that could affect the underground and overhead electric-delivery systems.

The combination of wind, rain and lightning this weekend could knock trees and branches into power lines, causing customers served by the overhead system to lose power. (Watch this video to learn how we restore power.)

Do not go near or touch downed power lines because they may be live. If you see downed wires, call your local police department or 1-800-75-CONED (1-800-752-6633).

Temperatures are expected to rise, possibly into the low 90s, early next week. Con Edison urges customers to use energy wisely during the heat. That saves money and helps Con Edison keep its service reliable.

Customers can report outages and check service restoration status by signing up for texting. To sign up for text alerts, go to conEd.com/text or Text REG to OUTAGE (688243) and follow the prompts. You will need to enter your Con Edison account number to complete the registration process. Once you've registered, you will not need your account number to report or check the status of a power problem.

Customers can also report an outage 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. Con Edison will call customers who report outages with their estimated restoration times as they become available.

Con Edison offers the following storm tips:

• Do not go near downed wires because they could be live. Never attempt to move them or touch them with any object. Be mindful that downed wires can be hidden from view by tree limbs, leaves or water.
• Report downed wires to Con Edison and your local police department. 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.

And here are tips that can help customers conserve energy once the heat rolls in:

• Set your air conditioning to the highest comfortable temperature. Every degree you lower the thermostat drives up your bill by 6 percent.
• When the AC is running, close doors to keep cool air in and hot air out.
• 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.
• If you run a business, keep your door closed while the AC is running. Don’t burn through your profits to cool the street.
• Run appliances such as ovens, washing machines, dryers and dishwashers in the early morning or late at night when it’s cooler outside.

Customers can follow Con Edison on Twitter or like us on Facebook for general outage updates, safety tips and storm preparation information.