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How We Restore Electricity

When our team comes to turn the power back on, here’s what to expect, step by step.

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1. We focus on public safety and clear away any downed power lines.

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2. We check for any damage to our system and assign crews and equipment to the area to begin repairs.

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3. We restore power to critical facilities, such as hospitals, nursing homes, and pumping stations, first.

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4. We fix lines and equipment to bring power back to the most people as quickly as possible, and restore the rest as soon as we can after that.

Note: Repairs take time. It may be difficult for us to tell you exactly when your service will be restored. Recovery after a severe storm could take days or weeks.

Restoration Process

After a flood, fire, or other catastrophic event, dangerous conditions can complicate restorations. You may need to take these additional steps to have electric service restored:

  1. A building inspector or code enforcement official must rule that the building or home is safe to reenter. In some cases, depending on the extent of the damage, municipal approval may be required just to gain access to the building.
  2. The home or building owner must contact a licensed electrician to determine whether the building’s electrical system has been damaged. If the home or building owner owns the damaged equipment, he or she will need to have the repairs completed by a licensed/qualified electrician before we can turn the service back on. During this process ensure your electrician logs into Project Center to submit an Energy Service work request. Learn what equipment is ours and what’s yours.
  3. Once repairs are made, the home or building owner needs to arrange for the building’s electric service to be inspected by a licensed electrical inspector authorized by the municipality. These inspectors do not work for Con Edison. They charge for service and prices may vary.
  4. Once the building’s electric system passes inspection, the inspector or electrician will provide written notification to Con Edison. This is called an Electric Certificate.
  5. After we receive the electric certificate Con Edison will schedule a final inspection to ensure your premise is ready to accept electricity. Once this is performed and passes we can restore your electric service.