There is only one electric company in New York City; Con Edison. When public utility brands like Con Edison treat their customers like children, what are the results? Extreme frustration from the consumer and no changes what-so-ever within the corporation. We have no choice when it comes to who our electric carrier is. They are a monopoly. Oh they may make you think you have a choice, but the reality is, it’s the same carrier with a different name on paper. And to make matters worse, Con Edison knows their public image is bad. Why else would they spend millions on fluff ads to make the public like them? Happy pictures of Con Edison employees adorn the New York Subway system announcing to everyone how “They are on it.” At least the posters are in 2 colors. Thanks for saving some money.

Last summer, during a heat wave, power went out in an area of Queens for 10 days. No air conditioning, no refrigeration, and no lights. In the media, Con Edison refused to answer questions in a proper fashion and they treated their customers like a nuisance.

Eventually, Con Edison formed a committee of their own people to analyze what went wrong. Their results found that the utility company went above and beyond the call of duty. The mutual admiration society had spoken. To say that the public is pissed is an understatement. If we had real competition in the marketplace, I am sure they would have handled the problem differently…unfortunately, we can’t switch and they know it.

When blunders hit the bottom line at other companies, they are quick to change. When a company holds all the cards, they just sit around and get fat. As my rates go up, those posters in the subways and the millions that they cost make me wish for a day when New York City has 4 other utility companies…After all, I’ve paid for that ad campaign. So why do I feel like “they’re NOT on it?”

Thanks again for reading,

Brad