ConEd Can't Track Its Own Equipment
Smart meters transmit usage data automatically, eliminating the need for estimated readings. Con Edison installed a smart meter at this residence, sent three separate technicians who confirmed its presence, received multiple emails with photographic proof — and still claims in their systems that it doesn't exist. This “confusion” directly enables the inflated estimated billing at the core of their abuse.
Timeline of Smart Meter Confirmations
Before Move-In (Pre-July 2023)
Smart meter was already installed at the residence before the current owner assumed occupancy.
First Technician Visit
After ConEd's continued insistence that a smart meter installation appointment was needed, a technician arrived and observed that a smart meter was already installed. The technician formally noted this finding.
Second & Third Technician Visits
On no fewer than two additional occasions, ConEd technicians visited the residence specifically to confirm the smart meter's presence. Each confirmed it. Several also inspected the third-floor panel and confirmed there was no additional meter (related to the one-vs-two-account confusion).
Multiple Photo Emails
Multiple emails with photographic proof of the meter, along with identification information that ConEd would need to locate it in their system, were sent to various ConEd addresses. None received a response.
The One-vs-Two Account Confusion
Adding to the dysfunction, ConEd appears confused about whether the residence has one or two customer accounts. The home is a Brooklyn brownstone that was formerly two separate metered units. Around 2010, the previous owners renovated and combined these into one unit with a single meter.
When the current owner called ConEd in June 2023 to establish service, the representative noted only one active account (labeled “floors 1&2”). The account for “3&4” was inactive and it was not possible to assume ownership.
Nevertheless, in conversations with ConEd customer service, the existence of another account comes up frequently and is conflated with the smart meter confusion — creating a compounding loop of institutional confusion that no representative has been able to resolve.
Why This Matters
Smart meters transmit usage data automatically, eliminating the need for estimated readings. ConEd's failure to recognize its own installed equipment directly enables the inflated estimated billing that is the core of this dispute. If the smart meter had been properly recognized in ConEd's systems at any point in the last 2+ years, the entire billing crisis could have been avoided.