Press Release

Customers Advised to be Prepared in Case Storm Hits New York

NEW YORK, Sept. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. (Con Edison) is preparing for Hurricane Isabel in the event the storm strikes the New York area this week.

The company is in close contact with the National Weather Service, the New York City Office of Emergency Management, Westchester County's Office of Emergency Services as well as other utilities for crew support if the need arises.

Con Edison is in the process of evaluating various flood level scenarios and allocating emergency equipment and materials to locations throughout its service area. In the event of outages, the length of time for restoration depends on the extent of the damage, weather conditions and the number of trees and branches that must be cleared to allow access to affected power lines.

    If the storm approaches our area, Con Edison recommends that customers:

    * Turn refrigerators and freezers to the coldest setting
    * Fill spare containers with water
    * Have a 7-day drinking water and non-perishable food supply
    * Unplug major or electronically sensitive appliances
    * Check batteries in flashlights and portable radios
    * Place important documents in waterproof containers
    * Fill automobile gas tanks
    * Get extra cash; ATMs might not work during an emergency
    * Keep pet ID tags and carriers handy, in case evacuations are necessary
      due to flooding

    If customers lose power they should:

    * Call Con Edison immediately at 1-800-752-6633
    * Keep your refrigerator closed to prevent food spoilage
    * Stay indoors
    * Keep a battery-operated radio on for safety tips and updates on the
      power restoration progress
    * Use candles or storm lamps with extreme care

If customers must venture outside following the storm, stay away from downed or dangling power lines and any other damaged electrical equipment. Any motorist in a vehicle that makes contact with a downed power cable must not attempt to move the cable. Remain inside the vehicle until help arrives.

Con Edison is a subsidiary of Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE: ED), one of the nation's largest investor-owned energy companies, with $9 billion in annual revenues and approximately $19 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 Con Edison's Web site at www.coned.com.

SOURCE Con Edison -0- 09/16/2003 /CONTACT: Brenda Perez of Con Edison, +1-212-460-4111/ /Web site: http://www.coned.com / (ED) CO: Con Edison; Consolidated Edison, Inc.