Press Release

Following discussions with Maureen Helmer, Chairman of the Public Service Commission, Con Edison has agreed today to extend the period for electricity consumers to submit claims arising from the recent electric distribution outages experienced on the utility’s electric system.

The utility’s applicable tariff provides, in case of distribution-related outages of at least 12 hours in duration such as experienced in Con Edison’s service area on July 6-7, that residential customers are to be compensated for food spoilage in amounts of up to $100. Commercial and other non-residential users are to be compensated for perishable merchandise up to $2,000.

Under the utility’s tariff, all such claims are to be filed within 30 days of the incident. The utility, which has mailed notification of this claims process to approximately 94,000 customers in affected areas, has agreed to process claims resulting from the July 6-7 incident that consumers file with the utility by August 20, 1999. This is a two-week extension of the claims filing process.

On July 16, 1999, the Public Service Commission instituted an investigation on the July 6, 1999, power outage of Con Edison’s Washington Heights Network and other network problems. The investigation is continuing with Con Edison’s full cooperation.