NEW YORK — Electricity usage reached a new high in the city on Sunday as temperatures sizzled and New Yorkers turned up their air conditioners, Con Edison announced.
Sunday's electricity usage peaked at 11,241 megawatts at 6 p.m., surpassing the Sunday record of 10,866 megawatts set in Aug. 14, 2005, according to Con Ed, which covers much of the five boroughs and Westchester County.
The all-time peak for Con Ed electricity usage is 13,189 megawatts, set on July 22, 2011, officials said.
Temperatures soared to 92 degrees in Central Park on Sunday but did not break the record of 100 degrees set in 2010.
In response to the high electricity usage Sunday, Con Edison cautioned its customers against wasting energy.
Turning off air conditioners, lights and appliances when not at home saves energy and money, as well as substituting fans for air conditioners when possible, Con Ed said. In addition, keeping shades and curtains closed prevents excess heat from coming in.
Con Ed also advised New Yorkers to set thermostats no lower than 78 degrees, since each degree lower increases costs by 6 percent.
