Queens reps call on Con Ed to reimburse SEQ customers after outage

Representatives Grace Meng and Greg Meeks want Con Ed to reimburse Queens customers who lost power during heatwave. Eagle file photo by Ryan Schwach

By Ryan Schwach

Two Queens representatives are calling on Con Ed to reimburse Southeast Queens customers who were left in the dark during the city’s recent heatwave.

Representatives Grace Meng and Greg Meeks wrote a letter to the utility and its CEO Timothy Cawley suggesting that it give credit to the 10,000 customers whose power was shut off after Con Ed began to experience technical problems as the temperatures in the city rose.

“During the shutdown, thousands of our constituents were forced to go without power while trapped under a ‘heat dome,’” the electeds wrote. “For hours, residents went without air conditioning or refrigeration, putting many at risk of spoiled food or medication, and in danger of heat exhaustion.”

Con Ed temporarily shut off power in Howard Beach, Ozone Park, Richmond Hill and South Ozone Park on the evening of July 3, smack in the middle of the heat wave that boiled the borough ahead of the Independence Day holiday.

The cause for the shutdown was an unspecific electrical problem. Shutting off the power prevented a more serious outage, the utility company said.

In a statement, Con Ed said affected locals should submit claims with the company for lost items.

"Customers who experienced a loss of perishable food or prescription medication can find information about submitting a claim on our website, where claims can also be filed online,” Con Ed said. “Each claim will be reviewed based on the specific circumstances of the outage, including its duration and cause, and eligibility for reimbursement will be determined in accordance with our regulations.”

“Outages caused by factors outside the company's control, such as storms, may not be eligible for reimbursement,” the utility added. “Claims must be submitted within 30 days of the outage."

However, Meng and Meeks want Con Ed to provide bill credits for those who experienced the shut off.

“This power outage and heatwave come amid already high increases in utility bills,” they said. “Our constituents should not bear the burden of this failure when they are already struggling with the rising cost of living.”