How ConEd Fabricates “Actual” Readings from Estimates
Con Edison bills indicate whether charges derive from “Estimated” or “Actual” meter readings. Examination of sequential bills reveals a disturbing institutional pattern: readings reported as “Estimated” in one billing period are retroactively designated as “Actual” in the next — manufacturing the appearance of legitimate metered data where none exists.
The Billing Data
| Period | Year | Current Reading | Prior Reading | Bill | kWh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun - August | 2023 | Estimated | N/A | $73.43 | 164 |
| August - September | 2023 | Estimated | Estimated | $64.36 | 145 |
| September - October | 2023 | Estimated | Estimated | $160.57 | 132 |
| October - November | 2023 | Actual | Actual | $57.20 | 132 |
| November - December | 2023 | Estimated | Actual | $1,062.60 | 3,098 |
| December - January | 2024 | Estimated | Actual | $1,108.39 | 3,431 |
| January - February | 2024 | Estimated | Actual | $1,555.99 | 4,241 |
| February - March | 2024 | Estimated | Actual | $1,153.10 | 3,402 |
| March - June | 2024 | Estimated | Estimated | $278.05 | 632 |
| June - July | 2024 | Estimated | Estimated | $92.72 | 206 |
What the Data Shows
The Estimated-to-Actual Flip
Each monthly bill indicates whether the current and prior readings are “Estimated” or “Actual.” The table above reveals a pattern: November through March bills list the current reading as “Estimated” but the prior reading as “Actual” — even though the prior month's bill listed that same reading as “Estimated.”
This retroactive relabeling raises a fundamental question: if Con Edison had actual meter data, why were customers billed based on estimates? And if they didn't have actual data, on what basis did they relabel the readings?
No Validation of Estimates
Con Edison customer service representatives repeatedly stated that estimates derive from “historical data.” However, no representative could explain how a 32x spike in usage could be a reasonable estimate — particularly for a residence where the heating system (radiant flooring) is not linked to electricity usage.
As the account holder noted: “It's hard to imagine the legal justification that allows a public serving utility to increase the estimated electricity usage more than 10x from previous months without any data validation.”
The Pattern Suggests Systemic Failure
The combination of wildly inflated estimates, retroactive relabeling, and the inability of customer service to provide any coherent explanation suggests that this is not a simple billing error, but a systemic failure in Con Edison's metering, estimation, and quality control processes.