Orange and Rockland Urges Customers to Conserve Energy Due to Heavy Demand on Interstate Gas Pipelines

Orange and Rockland (O&R) urges both its electric and natural gas customers to conserve energy due to frigid weather and increased demand on interstate pipelines that bring natural gas into the region. The call for conservation covers Orange and Rockland’s 131,460 natural gas and 226,450 electric customers in Rockland and parts of Orange and Sullivan counties in New York and will remain in effect until further notice. Conserving energy as much as possible now will help ensure adequate natural gas supplies for the rest of the weekend.

Owners of natural gas pipelines have reported that equipment problems caused by the severe cold weather and the heavy demand for natural gas are challenging their ability to provide adequate amounts of natural gas throughout the Northeast.

Though the issues are on pipelines that are outside of Orange and Rockland’s service area and not owned or operated by Orange and Rockland, the company is seeking conservation to keep service reliable for its customers.

Orange & Rockland offers the following conservation tips:

• Set thermostats at the lowest comfortable temperature. Each degree lower reduces energy usage and decreases heating costs.
• Use appliances only as needed. Turn off the lights in unoccupied rooms. Turn off television sets, computers and other appliances that are not in use.
• Hold off on using appliances such as dishwashers, washing machines and dryers until the conservation request is lifted, if possible.
• Make sure heating vents are not blocked by furniture, carpeting or anything else that could obstruct the flow of heat.

Orange and Rockland Utilities (O&R) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Consolidated Edison, Inc. (Con Edison) (NYSE: ED), one of the nation’s largest investor-owned energy companies. O&R is a regulated electric and gas utility that serves approximately 226,450 electric customers and 131,460 natural gas customers in New York.

For additional information about O&R, please visit O&R’s Web site at www.oru.com.