Plugged In

The crooks trying to take money from Con Edison customers have shown a new level of resourcefulness this year.

The scammers are calling customers and claiming they owe Con Edison a deposit for their smart meter. They then tell the customer to make an immediate payment by Bitcoin or the company will turn off their power.

These are lies. Con Edison does not require deposits for the smart meters it is installing at homes and businesses across New York City and Westchester County. The company does not accept payment by Bitcoin.

Con Edison does not call customers and demand immediate payment.

“These scammers take tens of thousands of dollars a year from our customers by sounding sincere while they lie,” said Jim Duggan, a manager in Con Edison’s Corporate Security department. “We want our customers to be able to recognize signs that someone is a professional criminal trying to steal from them.”

Con Edison is joining more than 100 electric, gas and water providers from North America in dedicating next week to educating customers on how they can avoid becoming victims. The companies, members of Utilities United Against Scams, have declared Nov. 11 to Nov. 17 to be National Utility Scam Awareness Week and next Wednesday to be National Utility Scam Awareness Day.

It's the time of the year when lots of us are making final preparations -- for vacations, graduations, weddings, and summer jobs. A big energy company like Con Edison is busy now too. Making final preps for what is the industry's busiest time of the year, summer, followed by storm season. We interview Con Edison's Senior VP for Electric Operations, Bob Schimmenti to learn about new technology and ways the NYC electric grid is ready.

Wonder Woman isn’t only fighting crime on the big screen this summer. She, and the other Justice League of America superheroes, are taking on criminals who pose as Con Edison employees in the newest storyline on our Con Edison Heroes app: https://www.coned.com/heroes/

Tune in to our latest podcast to learn why we’ve joined forces with DC Comics’ Justice League of America from Customer Operations Senior Specialist Chris Gallo and Diversity & Inclusion Director Nicole Leon.

NEW TECHNOLOGIES SHAPE ENERGY CONSUMPTION

Con Edison’s Podcast Powers Through In’s & Out’s

#PluggedIn

NEW YORK –The energy industry is going through a significant evolution. There is a growing switch to renewables such as solar, battery and other distributed energy resources, and in some cases, a new business model for the energy industry as well.

Con Edison’s podcast, called “Plugged-In” takes an insider’s look into several trends: the transition of central power generation, batteries, electric vehicles, stagnant electric demand, and consumer consumption.

the podcast, Con Edison’s Matt Ketschke, vice president of Distributed Resources Integration talks about these major trends and what they mean.

“Technology is giving us ways to offer our customers new products and services and to keep our system reliable,” said Ketschke. “We want to be a leader in creating in the transformation of our industry We’ve reached a milestone in NYC, producing more than 100 megawatts of clean renewable power – that’s enough to power 15,000 homes.”

Con Edison is a subsidiary of Consolidated Edison, Inc. [NYSE: ED], one of the nation’s largest investor-owned energy companies, with approximately $12 billion in annual revenues and $48 billion in assets. The utility provides electric, gas and steam service to more than three million customers in New York City and Westchester County, New York. For additional financial, operations and customer service information, visit us at www.conEd.com, @ConEdison

This is a gas safety podcast with Con Edison's senior vice-president of gas operations and Chris Gallo, Con Edison's senior manager with customer outreach.

Smell Gas. Act Fast.

Gas leaks can create fires and explosions. It's important that you and your family know how to recognize a gas leak and what to do if you suspect a leak.

How to Recognize a Gas Leak

—A distinctive, strong odor similar to rotten eggs

See—A white cloud, mist, fog, bubbles in standing water, blowing dust, or vegetation that appears to be dead or dying for no reason

Hear—Roaring, hissing, or whistling

Why Natural Gas Smells Like Rotten Eggs

Natural gas doesn’t actually smell like anything. That’s why we add a chemical called methyl mercaptan (methanethiol) to natural gas so you’ll be able to smell it in case of a leak. Mercaptan has a very distinct and unpleasant odor that many people compare to the smell of rotten eggs.

What to Do If You Think There Is a Gas Leak

If the odor is strong, leave immediately and take others with you.

If you are outside, leave the area immediately.

Don’t light a match or smoke, turn appliances or lights on or off (including flashlights), use a telephone, or start a car. Doing so can produce sparks that might cause the gas to explode.

Find a phone away from the area and call 911 or 1-800-75-CONED (1-800-752-6633). You can report leaks anonymously.

Don’t assume someone else will report it.

National Grid customers should call 1-718-643-4050.

Follow directions from emergency responders who are on site.

This is a discussion about the progress of women in advanced work roles at Con Edison, spearheaded by the movie 'Hidden Figures.' We speak with female engineers and an architect to get insight into how they help encourage other women to in advance their careers.