Public Accountability Project
Con Edison: A Regulated Monopoly Accountable to No One
Con Edison serves 3.4 million customers in New York with no alternative provider. As a regulated public utility, they have a legal obligation to bill accurately, maintain reliable records, and resolve disputes in good faith. They are systematically violating every one of these duties.
This site documents the evidence: fabricated billing records, contradictory parallel billing timelines, a customer service apparatus designed to exhaust rather than resolve, and the weaponization of shutoff threats against customers who dare to question their bills.
The Duties They're Violating
Under New York Public Service Law and oversight by the NYPSC, Con Edison is legally required to:
Bill Accurately
Utility bills must reflect actual metered usage. When actual readings are unavailable, estimates must be reasonable and based on verifiable data. ConEd bills customers based on estimates that spike usage 32x with no validation, then retroactively relabels those estimates as “actual” readings.
Maintain Accurate Records
Regulated utilities must maintain transparent, consistent billing records. ConEd's own portal displays multiple contradictory billing histories for the same service periods — three parallel “realities” with different balances, different usage figures, and bills that appear and disappear without explanation.
Resolve Disputes in Good Faith
Customers have a right to dispute charges and receive timely resolution. ConEd's dispute process is a closed loop: 9 emails ignored, 14 calls totaling 5 hours with no resolution, 4+ service appointments where nobody shows up, and continued shutoff threats during open cases.
The Evidence, by the Numbers
From a single documented case. How many others are out there?
Documented Patterns of Abuse
Each of these is backed by billing records, email correspondence, phone logs, and formal complaint filings.
Fabricated Billing Records
ConEd's portal shows three contradictory billing histories for the same service periods. Bills appear, disappear, and contradict each other across parallel timelines.
Estimates Passed Off as Actual Readings
Meter readings billed as 'Estimated' are retroactively relabeled as 'Actual' in subsequent bills — manufacturing the appearance of legitimate data.
A Customer Service Black Hole
14 calls, 9 unanswered emails, 4+ no-show appointments. The system isn't broken — it's working exactly as designed: to exhaust customers into submission.
Equipment ConEd Can't Track
Three separate ConEd technicians confirmed a smart meter was installed. ConEd's systems still claim it doesn't exist — and use that fiction to justify estimated billing.
Shutoff Threats as a Weapon
Continued shutoff notices and late fees during an open billing dispute. When questioned: 'Sorry, we can't stop those notices, but trust us.' Trust them?
Phantom Credits, Zero Explanations
Random credits of $50, $122, $1,252, and $4,013 appear and vanish. If ConEd can't explain credits, how can they justify charges?
The Monopoly Problem
In most industries, a company that fabricates records, ignores customers, and threatens people who question their bills would lose those customers. But Con Edison is a monopoly. Their 3.4 million customers have no alternative.
That's why they have regulators. That's why they have legal obligations. And that's why, when they violate those obligations, the public needs to know.
Has Con Edison Done This to You?
The evidence on this site comes from one meticulously documented case. But the patterns suggest this is systemic. If you've experienced inflated estimated bills, fabricated records, ignored complaints, or shutoff threats during a dispute — your story is evidence.
Submit Your Evidence