Con Ed Copes with Power Problem, Asks Customers to Conserve Energy

With a power problem in parts of Brooklyn and Queens, and hot and muggy conditions across Westchester, Con Edison asks customers to use energy wisely.

Con Edison has reduced voltage by 8 percent and asked customers in Richmond Hill, Woodhaven, Ozone Park, South Ozone Park, Kew Gardens, Lindenwood, Howard Beach and Broad Channel not to use appliances such as washers, dryers, air conditioners and other energy-intensive equipment and to turn off lights and televisions when not needed until the cable/equipment problems are resolved.

The company promises all customers can stay cool by following a few money-saving conservation tips:

· Set your AC to the highest comfortable temperature. Every degree you lower the thermostat drives up your bill by 6 percent;

· 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 cooler outside;

· Cook with a microwave or barbecue outside, if possible;

· When the AC is running, close doors to keep cool air in and hot air out;

· Keep shades, blinds and curtains closed. About 40 percent of unwanted heat comes through windows;

· 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 or smart technology to turn on your air conditioner about a half-hour before arriving home;

· Keep AC filters clean;

· Replace old appliances with new energy efficient Energy Star appliances.

Customers can report outages and check service restoration status at www.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.

Customers who report outages will be called by Con Edison with their estimated restoration times as they become available.

Also, download Con Edison’s new free iPhone and Android app, My conEdison, to report and check the status of a power problem, and view the company’s interactive online outage map.

SCREENSHOT: Con Ed outage map, 9:26AM