Consolidated Edison of New York : Con Edison Customers Ring Out 2017 with Record Natural Gas Usage

Con Edison met unprecedented demand for natural gas on New Year's Eve, as customers sought to stay warm during the frigid finish to 2017.

The company provided distribution customers in New York City and Westchester County with 1.3 million dekatherms of gas on Sunday, setting a daily record. The previous record was set just three days earlier, last Thursday, when the sendout reached 1.26 million dekatherms.

New records were also set for winter electric usage. Con Edison reported the highest winter weekend sendout of electricity from December 30-31, 2017 of 337,323 megawatt hours (MWh), beating the previous winter weekend electric sendout record of 321,947 MWh from January 4-5, 2014. A new all-time peak demand for Sunday electric usage was also reached on December 31, 2017 at 7 p.m. at 8,183 megawatts (MW).

Con Edison reminds its customers to conserve energy by following the energy company on Twitter or Facebook for energy savings tips. The company provides customers with rebates and incentives for upgrading their heating and cooling equipment, go to: coned.com/hvacrebate to learn more.

To help get through this week's mind-numbing cold, Con Edison suggests these steps:

• Use a programmable thermostat, and/or turn your thermostat down when you are not at home. Set the thermostat while you are home to a reasonable temperature that meets your comfort and health needs.
• Make sure your thermostat is not affected by drafts that could skew the readings. Use a smart thermostat to automatically change the heating pattern to fit your schedule.
• Take a moment to turn off any devices or appliances you are not using.
• Use weather-stripping in all attic stairwells and access openings for tight insulation.
• Stop cold air infiltration from electric switch and plug outlets by using draft blockers.
• Open curtains and/or shades of east, south and west-facing windows on sunny winter days to let the sun help you heat your home. Close them at night. Keep draperies closed all day on north-facing windows.
• Close hot air vents or radiators in unused rooms. Then, close the doors to those rooms securely, using draft guards at the door bottoms if necessary. CAUTION: If you have a radiator-hot water system, be sure the unused room does not get so cold as the temperature falls below freezing.
• Check all places where heat enters the room. Make sure the draperies and furniture do not block the flow of heat.
• Use a room or furnace humidifier or keep shallow pans of water on radiator tops or near hot air vents to add humidity to your home .
• Check the filters on your forced-air furnace every month during the heating season. Replace as necessary.
• Never use a gas oven or range, or charcoal grill to heat a room. This causes a carbon monoxide danger that could prove fatal.

Customers can also save money on heating by using these tips:

• Have a contractor clean and inspect your heating system.
• Inspect and clean air ducts and heating vents to ensure adequate air flow and eliminate any loss of heated air.
• Insulate hot-water pipes and warm-air ducts that pass through unheated areas.
• Clean or replace filters for your hot-air furnace and heat-pump.
• Head over to Con Edison's Marketplace where you can shop for energy-saving appliances and products.

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 $49 billion in assets. The utility provides electric, gas and steam service to 3.4 million customers in New York City and Westchester County, New York.