Con Edison Crews Persevere As More Heat Scorches The Region

Con Edison workers wearing heavy protective clothing are in the sweltering streets keeping service reliable for customers while protecting themselves and each other from being overcome by the heat.

Crews are responding to scattered outages, as New Yorkers sweat through the second of back-to-back heat waves.

Some of the Con Edison work takes place in tight manholes below the dark asphalt where temperatures are even hotter than at street level. The crew members watch each other for signs of fatigue, take breaks and stay hydrated in order to remain alert and safe in the heat.

Con Edison offers energy savings tips, including:

• Make sure air conditioner filters are clean so the units will run at peak efficiency
• Set thermostats to the highest comfortable temperature. Each degree lower increases cooling costs
• If you have a room air-conditioning unit, close off the rooms not being used; if you have central air, block the vents in unused or vacant rooms
• 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 when it’s generally cooler outside. Use a microwave to cook, if possible
• Keep shades, blinds and curtains closed. About 40 percent of unwanted heat comes through windows. Simply drawing blinds and curtains, which act as a layer of insulation, can reduce heat in your apartment or home
• Turn off air conditioners, lights and other appliances when not at home

To make it easier to report outages, Con Edison sent a text message to more than 1.7 million customers with a heat alert to let them know they can report an outage by simply replying OUT.

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

Customers who report outages will receive updates from Con Edison with their estimated restoration times as they become available. Information on outages and restoration times is also available at the Con Edison outage map.

An industry leader in reliability, Con Edison invested $1.3 billion throughout the company’s New York City and Westchester County service area to prepare for the summer of 2020. For additional information on investments click here.

New Yorkers can use the NYC Cooling Center Finder to locate the nearest cooling center and learn ways to find relief from the heat.

Con Edison personnel practice social distancing to keep everyone safe from the coronavirus. Con Edison is following the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines during the health emergency.

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