Protect Your Home (and Wallet) From Ol' Man Winter NEW

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - Oct 23, 2014) - Con Edison expects residential winter heating bills to be approximately 10 percent lower than last year due to lower natural gas prices, and reminds customers they can save even more money by using energy wisely and making sure their heating systems work efficiently.

Customers can get a great start by signing up for Con Edison's Green Team energy efficiency programs.

Residential customers can save up to $1,000 and cut heating costs up to 30 percent with Green Team rebates. The rebates encourage customers to take steps like replacing older equipment with efficient technology and sealing leaks in their heating systems.

Residential customers, with central air conditioning, can also get a free smart thermostat to program their central A/C and heating systems, which will help save energy and money. For energy tips and information on the programs visit: www.coned.com/greenteam or call 1-877-870-6118.

Click to watch a video now for winter energy savings tips, or follow these steps:

• If your health permits, set your thermostat at 68 degrees during the day and 60 degrees at night and when no one is home. Each degree over 68 can increase by 3 percent the amount of energy you use for heating.
• Install a programmable thermostat and set it to lower the heat at night and when no one is home.
• Every fall, have your heating system cleaned and inspected by a qualified contractor.
• Inspect ducts to ensure adequate air flow and eliminate any loss of heated air.
• Keep drapes and furniture away from radiators and baseboard heaters so heat can flow freely.

Con Edison expects the average monthly gas-heating residential bill from November to March (based on average monthly usage of 162 therms) to be approximately $239, compared with $267 last winter. The calculation assumes normal weather in both years. Extreme cold weather and other factors, however, can cause natural gas prices to rise suddenly. Con Edison does not control the price of natural gas and does not make a profit on the commodity. The company uses a variety of buying strategies to get the best price. The company then provides the natural gas to customers at cost.

Con Edison offers level-payment plans and other options to help customers manage their bills. For information: http://www.coned.com/customercentral/managemybill.asp .

Con Edison customers can also consider buying their natural gas from an alternative supplier called an Energy Service Company, or ESCO. Some ESCOs may offer fixed-price options that can protect customers from market fluctuations. Con Edison offers information and lists of ESCOs at www.poweryourway.com , or check the NY State Public Service Commission (PSC) website at www.newyorkpowertochoose.com .

Con Edison reminds its gas customers to place safety first. Anyone who smells gas should leave the area immediately and call 911 or 1-800-75CONED. The company invested more than $500 million this year on its gas infrastructure, which includes 4,300 miles of distribution mains and 368,000 service lines in Manhattan, the Bronx, Westchester and parts of Queens.

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 $40 billion in assets. The utility provides electric, gas and steam service to more than 3 million customers in New York City and Westchester County, New York. For additional financial, operations and customer service information, visit www.conEd.com .

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