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As you continue to watch, you might observe the pair prying the cover from one of the thousands of manholes throughout the city. You may see them hoist the massive cast-iron disc on its side and roll it over into the van. As quickly as they arrived on your street, the duo is gone along with the manhole cover, and while you might not immediately realize this, you just witnessed a crime.

To most residents, the theft of one of the city’s manhole covers might seem like a lot of trouble for a little reward; the metal sells at scrap yards for around $30. But, due to a variety of factors, not the least of which is the city’s still struggling economy, the thefts of the covers along with other recyclable materials such as discarded refrigerators, air conditioners, paper and cardboard, have become increasingly common.

Together, these thefts have been costing the city millions of dollars in replacement costs and lost revenue while posing various safety hazards to residents.

In an effort to stem the tide of these costly thefts, legislators and city officials met recently to consider more stringent penalties for those caught stealing manhole covers and recyclable metals and papers that would otherwise be picked up by the city’s Department of Sanitation (DSNY) for sale to approved dealers.

The penalty for theft of a manhole cover would be a minimum of $2,500 and up to 30 days in jail. The current penalty varies but is usually about $1,000.

Another bill would punish appliance and paper thieves with fines of up to $5,000 and vehicle impoundment. The current penalty is $2,000 and vehicle impoundment.

Most manholes are merely access points that enable utility personnel to service parts of the city’s infrastructure such as electric, gas and water connections.

Allan Drury, a spokesman for Con Edison, said the utility usually sees only a few manhole cover thefts a year, but between early March and May, there were about 40 covers stolen in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx.

Drury added that the covers are not easy to steal and weigh as much as 300 pounds. Con Ed uses specially designed hooks to lift the covers, but witnesses have seen thieves using car jacks to steal them. “The cast-iron covers cost about $200 to replace, but our main concern with thefts is public safety. Stealing covers is a serious crime because it puts pedestrians and motorists at risk,” he said.

“We believe those who steal manhole covers usually sell them for scrap metal,” Drury said. “We reach out to scrap metal dealers and urge them to call us and the police if they are offered a cover with a Con Edison logo.”

“It’s a shame that people are risking innocent lives for a quick buck. The desperate act of stealing manhole covers and certain recyclable materials is disruptive to our city’s physical environment and creates dangerous conditions where pedestrians and motorists are forced to fear for their safety,” said Councilman Robert Jackson, who represents northern Manhattan and sits on the five-member committee on sanitation and solid waste.

“As legislators, we need to come together and find real solutions to deter perpetrators from committing these crimes before the problem becomes epidemic,” Jackson added.

Con Edison has reported that witnesses in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx had described thieves dressed in utility apparel, but without any Con Edison or other utility markings, prying open manhole covers, loading the covers onto pickup trucks, and then driving away.
He added that despite the incidents of open manholes, there were no known cases of people being injured by falling into open manholes.
Drury said that when a cover is reported missing, it is replaced right away. “We secure the area until we are able to place a new cover on the hole.”

In his testimony before the city council committee on sanitation and solid waste, NYC Department of Environment Protection (DEP) Deputy Commissioner James Waters did not mince words when describing the seriousness of the problem of the manhole cover thefts.
Waters said the total number of missing DEP manhole covers in 2009 was 1,608; in 2010, 1,378; in 2011, 1,498. “Those numbers include covers on manholes that lead to sewer infrastructure, as well as covers on manholes that lead to potable water infrastructure,” Waters told the committee.

The committee hearing also revealed that the NYPD’s major case unit had helped to arrest two people back in March who had stolen several manhole covers in the Bronx.

Police did not respond to requests seeking details on the investigation. News reports, however, said that a man arrested in Brooklyn, back in May, was reportedly stealing manhole covers to support a crack cocaine and heroin drug habit.

A clerk at Timpson Scrap Metal in the Bronx said that the going rate for a cast-iron manhole cover would be anywhere from $21 to $30 based on their rate of seven cents per pound for covers that weigh around 300 pounds.

“But we don’t take manhole covers,” said the man, who would not give his name. “Selling manhole covers is illegal. If we get someone who wants to sell one, we have to call the police and report them.”

In fact, one of the provisions of the newly introduced council legislation would be a rewards campaign to encourage citizens to report thefts of recyclable metals.

“The bill would specifically target those profiting from the theft of these materials, an illegal industry that presents a significant threat to public safety,” said Council Member Letitia James, chair of the sanitation and solid waste committee. “Our legislation will give law enforcement an extra tool to combat this theft and ensure that violators are punished both civilly and criminally to the greatest extent of the law.”

According to Kathy Dawkins, a spokesperson for DSNY, under Local Law 50, the Department of Sanitation’s Enforcement Division can take any vehicle used in the theft of recyclables.

In 2011, 53 vehicles were impounded by the agency in Manhattan, 358 citywide; while this year 185 vehicles were impounded in Manhattan and 530 citywide.

“Generally, when the economy is slow there is increase in the theft of recyclables as evident in the number of vehicles the department has impounded,” Dawkins said.

Ron Gonen, a deputy commissioner of recycling for the DSNY, testified at the council hearing that the poaching of recyclables was both a NYC and a national problem that has cost the city and reputable recyclers millions of dollars in lost revenue.

Gonen testified that the poaching of recyclables has seriously affected the city’s own recycling program and that the thefts cost the city income from the sale of its own recyclables. “Scrap iron and steel can be sold for up to $250 per ton, over four times the price from a decade ago, and bundled paper or cardboard can net $230 per ton, more than 32 times the amount the city receives under contracts with its own processing vendors,” Gonen said before the council.

Moreover, Gonen said that today’s thieves are smarter than ever. “Those who poach have grown more sophisticated, and a lucrative, organized underground market has emerged,” Gonen pointed out. “Poachers organize their activity around Department route schedules and often employ multiple individuals using a single van or truck.”

He added that since Local Law 50’s enactment in 2007, the agency has issued more than 1,800 notices of violation and impounded nearly 1,200 vehicles involved in the removal of recyclables from curbsides.

Gonen also pointed out that people removing bulk metal items such as refrigerators and air conditioners containing CFCs or chlorofluorocarbons are endangering people’s health by risking the release of the chemicals into the air.

A spokesperson for the council said the bills are still under review and will likely be further amended by members of the sanitation committee as well as city agency officials before being presented to the full council for a vote. No timeframe was given.

Officials raise concerns over unlikely stolen city property—manhole covers

Place yourself on a city stoop during a recent smoldering summer evening. Perhaps you are taking your mind off of the heat with a book or cool glass of wine, when you notice a white, windowless van screeching past. Maybe you see two men, wearing what look like uniforms, park and get out of the car brandishing a crowbar.

As you continue to watch, you might observe the pair prying the cover from one of the thousands of manholes throughout the city. You may see them hoist the massive cast-iron disc on its side and roll it over into the van. As quickly as they arrived on your street, the duo is gone along with the manhole cover, and while you might not immediately realize this, you just witnessed a crime.

To most residents, the theft of one of the city’s manhole covers might seem like a lot of trouble for a little reward; the metal sells at scrap yards for around $30. But, due to a variety of factors, not the least of which is the city’s still struggling economy, the thefts of the covers along with other recyclable materials such as discarded refrigerators, air conditioners, paper and cardboard, have become increasingly common.

Together, these thefts have been costing the city millions of dollars in replacement costs and lost revenue while posing various safety hazards to residents.

In an effort to stem the tide of these costly thefts, legislators and city officials met recently to consider more stringent penalties for those caught stealing manhole covers and recyclable metals and papers that would otherwise be picked up by the city’s Department of Sanitation (DSNY) for sale to approved dealers.

The penalty for theft of a manhole cover would be a minimum of $2,500 and up to 30 days in jail. The current penalty varies but is usually about $1,000.

Another bill would punish appliance and paper thieves with fines of up to $5,000 and vehicle impoundment. The current penalty is $2,000 and vehicle impoundment.

Most manholes are merely access points that enable utility personnel to service parts of the city’s infrastructure such as electric, gas and water connections.

Allan Drury, a spokesman for Con Edison, said the utility usually sees only a few manhole cover thefts a year, but between early March and May, there were about 40 covers stolen in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx.

Drury added that the covers are not easy to steal and weigh as much as 300 pounds. Con Ed uses specially designed hooks to lift the covers, but witnesses have seen thieves using car jacks to steal them. “The cast-iron covers cost about $200 to replace, but our main concern with thefts is public safety. Stealing covers is a serious crime because it puts pedestrians and motorists at risk,” he said.
“We believe those who steal manhole covers usually sell them for scrap metal,” Drury said. “We reach out to scrap metal dealers and urge them to call us and the police if they are offered a cover with a Con Edison logo.”

“It’s a shame that people are risking innocent lives for a quick buck. The desperate act of stealing manhole covers and certain recyclable materials is disruptive to our city’s physical environment and creates dangerous conditions where pedestrians and motorists are forced to fear for their safety,” said Councilman Robert Jackson, who represents northern Manhattan and sits on the five-member committee on sanitation and solid waste.

“As legislators, we need to come together and find real solutions to deter perpetrators from committing these crimes before the problem becomes epidemic,” Jackson added.

Con Edison has reported that witnesses in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx had described thieves dressed in utility apparel, but without any Con Edison or other utility markings, prying open manhole covers, loading the covers onto pickup trucks, and then driving away.
He added that despite the incidents of open manholes, there were no known cases of people being injured by falling into open manholes.
Drury said that when a cover is reported missing, it is replaced right away. “We secure the area until we are able to place a new cover on the hole.”

In his testimony before the city council committee on sanitation and solid waste, NYC Department of Environment Protection (DEP) Deputy Commissioner James Waters did not mince words when describing the seriousness of the problem of the manhole cover thefts.
Waters said the total number of missing DEP manhole covers in 2009 was 1,608; in 2010, 1,378; in 2011, 1,498. “Those numbers include covers on manholes that lead to sewer infrastructure, as well as covers on manholes that lead to potable water infrastructure,” Waters told the committee.

The committee hearing also revealed that the NYPD’s major case unit had helped to arrest two people back in March who had stolen several manhole covers in the Bronx.

Police did not respond to requests seeking details on the investigation. News reports, however, said that a man arrested in Brooklyn, back in May, was reportedly stealing manhole covers to support a crack cocaine and heroin drug habit.

A clerk at Timpson Scrap Metal in the Bronx said that the going rate for a cast-iron manhole cover would be anywhere from $21 to $30 based on their rate of seven cents per pound for covers that weigh around 300 pounds.

“But we don’t take manhole covers,” said the man, who would not give his name. “Selling manhole covers is illegal. If we get someone who wants to sell one, we have to call the police and report them.”

In fact, one of the provisions of the newly introduced council legislation would be a rewards campaign to encourage citizens to report thefts of recyclable metals.

“The bill would specifically target those profiting from the theft of these materials, an illegal industry that presents a significant threat to public safety,” said Council Member Letitia James, chair of the sanitation and solid waste committee. “Our legislation will give law enforcement an extra tool to combat this theft and ensure that violators are punished both civilly and criminally to the greatest extent of the law.”

According to Kathy Dawkins, a spokesperson for DSNY, under Local Law 50, the Department of Sanitation’s Enforcement Division can take any vehicle used in the theft of recyclables.

In 2011, 53 vehicles were impounded by the agency in Manhattan, 358 citywide; while this year 185 vehicles were impounded in Manhattan and 530 citywide.

“Generally, when the economy is slow there is increase in the theft of recyclables as evident in the number of vehicles the department has impounded,” Dawkins said.

Ron Gonen, a deputy commissioner of recycling for the DSNY, testified at the council hearing that the poaching of recyclables was both a NYC and a national problem that has cost the city and reputable recyclers millions of dollars in lost revenue.

Gonen testified that the poaching of recyclables has seriously affected the city’s own recycling program and that the thefts cost the city income from the sale of its own recyclables. “Scrap iron and steel can be sold for up to $250 per ton, over four times the price from a decade ago, and bundled paper or cardboard can net $230 per ton, more than 32 times the amount the city receives under contracts with its own processing vendors,” Gonen said before the council.

Moreover, Gonen said that today’s thieves are smarter than ever. “Those who poach have grown more sophisticated, and a lucrative, organized underground market has emerged,” Gonen pointed out. “Poachers organize their activity around Department route schedules and often employ multiple individuals using a single van or truck.”

He added that since Local Law 50’s enactment in 2007, the agency has issued more than 1,800 notices of violation and impounded nearly 1,200 vehicles involved in the removal of recyclables from curbsides.

Gonen also pointed out that people removing bulk metal items such as refrigerators and air conditioners containing CFCs or chlorofluorocarbons are endangering people’s health by risking the release of the chemicals into the air.

A spokesperson for the council said the bills are still under review and will likely be further amended by members of the sanitation committee as well as city agency officials before being presented to the full council for a vote. No timeframe was given.

Via Wiki Commons.

The battle over raising the state’s minimum wage is not over yet, as United NY and Alliance for a Greater New York released a new report on five employers of low-wage workers the authors call the “worst” in New York City.

The five are listed as Lage Mgmt. Corporation, Air Serv, Toys “R” Us, Golden Farm, and Con Edison.

The report, shown below, recommends,  ”raising the minimum wage, requiring those employers that receive taxpayer subsidies to pay a living wage and to hire locally, making it easier for workers to gain collectivebargaining, ensuring strong enforcement against wage theft, and incentivizing banks to write-downunderwater mortgages.”

To read the full report at City & State click here.

“Let me be clear: Your actions do not have my support,” wrote Quinn. “Con Edison’s decision to unilaterally impose a lockout during a heat wave, after 30 years of no job disruptions, was an escalation of management/labor tensions to an unprecedented degree, placing many New Yorkers’ lives in danger.”

Downtown Alliance Honored for Its Tracking System
The Downtown Alliance was honored with the Business Improvement District (BID) Innovation Award last week by Deputy Mayor Robert K. Steel and Small Business Services Commissioner Robert E. Walsh. The Alliance was one of 17 organizations and individuals who were awarded as a part of the annual Neighborhood Achievement Awards.

The award was presented to the Alliance for its handheld infrastructure tracking system, which it released in 2009. The system is an electronic survey method that produces maps and readily provides data about Lower Manhattan’s streetscape.

“The Downtown Alliance handheld infrastructure tracking system has streamlined our infrastructure maintenance and enhanced our survey data, resulting in a lower overall cost of maintaining Lower Manhattan’s distinctive streetscape,” said Joe Timpone, senior vice president of operations, in a statement.

Since 2002, the Neighborhood Achievement Awards have honored organizations that work to better New York City communities while fostering economic opportunity.

Downtown Day Camps Put On Their Crazy Hats
Downtown Day Camps held their 21st annual Crazy Hat Day last week at the P.S. 234 schoolyard at 292 Greenwich St. in Tribeca.
Since the camp’s start in 1992, campers get to use their imagination and create funky, interesting headgear on this day. They wear their creations all day for anyone to come observe.

Manhattan Youth Downtown Day Camps, which includes junior and senior divisions, is directed by Dr. Russ Schulman and serves children from K to 8th grade throughout the summer.

Pier 17. Photo by James Kelleher

South Street Seaport Fire Put Out
A fire that broke out at the South Street Seaport on Saturday was caused by faulty electrical wiring, reported the Huffington Post.
The fire started under Pier 17 and grew to engulf about 100 square feet, but was tamed in under two hours. Pictures of the blaze show onlookers photographing and gawking at immense clouds of black smoke over Lower Manhattan.

The fire could have been building under the dock for some time, according to the New York Times.

Fire Department spokesman Jim Long called the fire an averted disaster in the tourist-heavy area—no one was hurt and no shops were damaged. The pier was open again to activity Saturday evening, including the planned Seaport Music festival.

Fire marshals began looking into any possible structural damage on Sunday, reported the Huffington Post. Parts of the pier will remain closed for some time as stability in the area is assessed.

Over 8,000 Con Edison workers were locked out on Sunday after talks with the Utility Workers Union of America broke down. A weekend of hard negotiations and the impending heat wave did not help both sides reach an agreement. Con Edison says it has dispatched 5,000 people, mostly managers and retired supervisors, to fill in for the locked out workers.

Con Edison says it has offered the unionized workers a two week extension on their contract, provided that they wouldn’t go on strike without giving a 7 days notice. The union came up with a proposal of its own, claiming it was ready to keep workers on the job without a contract until the end of the negotiations. Both offers were rejected by the respective parties, but Con Ed says that the deal is still on the table.

Meanwhile, Con Edison spokesman Allan Drury said that the 5,000 managers who had been asked to fill in for regular workers were “trained and experienced,” adding that Con Edison would continue to provide its regular services as the summer’s worst heat wave yet has begun to loom over the North East.

In a statement, Con Edison also said that “all company personnel has been preparing for the possibility of a union work stoppage for months.”

Many union workers, however, did no share that optimism.

“[Con Edison] has placed their customers and the public at great peril,” union spokesperson John Melia told the Daily News. Melia said the managers that have been called to replace union workers “don’t have the knowledge or the expertise” to operate the system on the long term.

Union President Harry Farrell shared similar concerns: “They’re asking retired supervisors to climb poles and work in manholes and stuff – I just don’t see it happening.”

“As temperatures rise and the threat of power outages grows, I urge Con-Ed to end the lockout it has imposed and for all parties to resume good faith negotiations,” said Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer. “Con-Ed employees deserve respect and a fair contract, and residents of the New York City region deserve assurances their power will continue without interruption as the heat wave continues. Both goals can be achieved if we work together and settle this dispute amicably–and as soon as possible.”

Con Edison sure won’t be having it easy, as a series of storms last Friday have caused massive power outages all over the East Coast, leaving over two million people without power. All this in the midst of a record-breaking heat wave that has seen temperatures hover in the high 90’s this weekend.

Scattered power outages were also recorded in Queens and the Bronx on Sunday. Con Ed spokeswoman Sara Banda however claims that those small-scales blackouts are typical of this time of year, and that the 650 power outages recorded in Queens on Sunday were in fact below average.

With both sides blaming each other for the breakdown in talks, it is hard to tell whether the Union is taking advantage of the heat wave to make unreasonable demands, or whether Con Edison is being unnecessarily stubborn in conducting the negotiations. Either way, both sides seem far from reaching a compromise.

“Consolidated Edison and the utility workers union must go back to the bargaining table and start talks again,” urged New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. “Resolving this impasse and lockout is in everyone’s best interest. With temperatures high, customers need assurance that service will not interrupted.”

Meanwhile, the heat wave is showing no sign of slowing down. It may be time to buy an inflatable pool, or for us less-fortunate city dwellers, to start sacrificing some goats to the almighty Spirit of Air Conditioning.

Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal heeded the itchy cries of residents on and around West 84th Street who have been suffering from a bafflingly hard to quash infestation, rounding up city officials to hear their tales and explain what the city is doing to combat the insects. The result was a promise to coordinate efforts and take the problem seriously, which barely soothed a very frustrated population.

“It’s not [just] a nuisance,” said Lisa Perlman, who brought photos of her young son’s red, swollen leg after he suffered a mosquito attack. “These mosquitoes are biting ,and their bites itch like hell for days; they hurt like black fly bites.” She and dozens of other meeting attendees said they or their kids sleep under mosquito nets in an effort to keep them away, but are sometimes up all night swatting.

Representatives from the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Con Edison each explained to the public what they were doing to combat the localized pests. Mosquitoes breed in standing water, and despite residents’ best efforts to eliminate stagnant water from the area and the city flushing the sewer system over 10 times in recent months, a single sewer trap is still catching over 300 mosquitoes in a day on West 84th Street.

Dr. Jody Gangloff-Kaufmann, an urban entomologist from Cornell University, explained the science of the problem and told residents that even little measures might help eliminate mosquitoes.

“If you find a bottle cap, get rid of it. If you see leaves in the gutters, get rid of them,” she said. “High participation is required.”

Gangloff-Kaufmann said that installing screens is the “No. 1 [method of] urban pest control,” but acknowledged that they won’t solve the root of the problem.

Part of the difficulty in eradicating the pesky bugs is that it requires the coordination of several city agencies. For example, the DEP can flush the sewers, but it can’t pull up any part of the roads without the go-ahead from the DOT. The DOHMH is responsible for pest control, but they still have to work with other agencies.

While some at the meeting wanted to know why the city won’t just spray chemicals to kill all the larvae, others were quick to reject that idea, saying they’d rather not resort to poison in a residential area.

Part of the frustration people felt was due to the fact that because the species of mosquito found on the Upper West Side hasn’t been shown to carry West Nile virus, the city has treated the infestation as a nuisance rather than an imminent threat to public health.

“The premise is, if someone doesn’t die, you can go to hell,” said West 84th Street resident Abraham Newman. “This is just a small sampling of the people who are suffering day and night. They have no recourse, no one listens to them, no one gives a damn because no one has died.”

City officials also admitted that they don’t know exactly what the next steps should be. Rosenthal suggested they all come to the location of the infestation and work as a task force to come up with more creative solutions, which all of the agencies agreed to.

“I’m happy that this many people came here, and that the agency representatives got to hear from them directly,” Rosenthal said. “I don’t think they grasped the magnitude of the problem.”

She also suggested that if the city can’t come up with a fix, they should bring in an outside consultant.

“It doesn’t seem that the city has responded in a way that is really going to solve the problem,” Rosenthal said. “They admitted, ‘I don’t know what the problem is, it’s a mystery.’ I mean, that’s not acceptable. These are intelligent, involved people and they’re not going to be happy until the problem is fixed.”

The ConEd power plant on East 74th Street between East End Avenue and the FDR Drive. Photo by Patricia Voulgaris.

By Megan Bungeroth
Officials from Con Edison are paving the way to convert both of their Manhattan steam generating plants into natural gas-fueled facilities. Last week, representatives from the energy company came to Community Board 8 to explain how the conversion would work at their Upper East Side plant on East 74th Street and York Avenue.
“This will give Con Edison the ability to burn gas and support the city’s goal to expand the use of natural gas and reduce the use of No. 4 and No. 6 fuel oil,” said Jim Shannon, who works for Con Ed and presented the information to the board.
The plant currently produces steam by combusting oil in boilers, which causes air pollution in the form of nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxides, particulate matter and other harmful elements. The Upper East Side has some of the worst air quality in the city due to the high number of older buildings that burn dirty fuel oil—Con Edison said that eliminating the steam plant, a source of this pollution, will significantly improve the neighborhood’s air quality.
“We’re going to reduce the emissions coming from that stack,” said plant manager Gary Hugo, referring to the large tower that emits dark smoke when the plant is burning oil.
Shannon said that after the plant is converted, there will be a 50 percent reduction in noxious pollutants emitted, the equivalent of removing 16,000 cars from the streets, as well as a 10 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.
The plant generates about 2 million steam pounds per hour (that’s 26.2 billion pounds annually), Con Edison said, and services about 1,735 customers in Manhattan. Steam is used to power both heating and cooling systems and is a very clean energy source at its point of use.
The project will cost about $83 million, but officials say it will ultimately save many millions of dollars, which will be passed onto steam customers. Aside from its cost efficiency, Hugo said that a big reason Con Edison is moving ahead with the conversion is to meet regulations from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
Some board members questioned how disruptive the work will be, especially for a neighborhood already besieged by Second Avenue Subway construction. Shannon said that Con Edison is hoping for permits that allow them to work weekdays after 8 a.m., but the DOT has the final say on permitted times.
The second phase of construction will be mostly inside the plant and is slated for completion in December 2013.

A few years ago, one of the residents of a West Side senior center began to sell their neighbors an alternative to Con Edison.

“They began to sell to them a different kind of lighting company,” said Micki Navarro, director of the Manhattan Valley Senior Center. “Well, it was all a scam. And they had to put a deposit down to get this.”

It wasn’t until one of the seniors mentioned it to one of the center’s social workers that they were finally able to start tracking the crime and looking for the scammers. By then it was too late.

“We traced it to somebody we couldn’t really trace,” Navarro said.

This isn’t an anomaly. Many elderly New Yorkers know the traditional safeguards to prevent pickpockets and burglaries. But, because they prey on trust, scammers can be much harder to avoid.

According to Ken Onaitis, head of the elder abuse department at the Carter Burden Center for the Aging, many scammers target the elderly, who can often be lonely or vulnerable.

Ageism is another reason scammers seek out senior citizens. Some see seniors’ physical or mental limitations as an invitation to go after them. Navarro said scammers target some elderly victims because of mental issues like depression, Alzheimer’s and dementia.

“Those people who commit the fraud, they know all of this,” she said. “They prepare. They do research and watch. They watch their prey and they attack when they know it’s the right time.”

Because scams can happen in person or by mail, phone or computer, there’s no sure-fire rule to avoid scams. But common sense is the best way to keep out of the crosshairs of con artists.

“If an offer sounds too good to be true,” Onaitis said. “It probably is.”

Here are some common scams to be wary of:

• While the mail is still used, email and computer-based scams are more common today. Never give out your social security number, bank information or other sensitive information over the Internet unless you absolutely trust the source on the other end. Even then, it’s good to make sure you verify as much as you can and never give money to people you don’t know.

• Phone scams are also common, according to Onaitis. Some scammers call dozens of people a day trying to gather sensitive data or sell fake products.

“The main thing is that if you get someone on the phone requesting information, trying to get information out of you, just hang up,” said Onaitis.

• According to Navarro, another common scam is those who wait until seniors receive social security money. When seniors go to withdraw money from ATMs, some people follow them home and try to sell them things.

• Make sure you feel comfortable with the person on the other side of the door before you open it. If someone says they are in a position of authority, always ask them for identification.

Navarro said that many seniors grew up when door-to-door salespeople were much more common. Some scammers take advantage of that trust to enter people’s homes. “They don’t know who they’re letting in,” she said.

The first thing anyone should do if they feel scammed is call the police in the precinct in which the crime happened. Many people are ashamed to admit they’ve been had.

Beyond the police, there are resources like the city’s Department for the Aging and community organizations like the Carter Burden Center, which help people respond to scams and go to court if necessary.

Still, prevention is much more simple than the cure. People should take simple steps to keep all personal information private and never give money to people based on a promise, because once scammed, it can be very hard to get the money back.

“Usually when the money’s gone, the money’s gone,” Onaitis said.

By Aline Reynolds

When New Yorkers think of energy, they generally think Con Edison. But there are actually more energy suppliers to choose from than there are cable, Internet and cell phone providers—combined. The trick is making sense of the promotions that arrive via mail and figuring out which one works best for any one household.

Energy choice stems from the state Public Service Commission’s 1996 deregulation of the energy sector. This allowed third-party suppliers, known as energy service companies, or ESCOs, to sell electricity and natural gas to commercial and residential consumers. Previously, state-regulated utilities like Con Edison had the corner on the energy market, acting as both the owners and distributors of energy supply for a specific geographic territory.

Much of the wind power purchased by local energy users through ConEdison Solutions originates on wind farms upstate in Madison County.

“It used to be a one-size-fits-all system,” said Lisa Dornan, director of public relations at Direct Energy, an energy company that entered the New York market in 2006. “Now, people have choice. They can find something that best fits their household needs.”

Proponents say the free-market system fosters competition and choice, allowing consumers to pick a plan that supports green energy, or has stable monthly bills. And though energy providers are largely deregulated, federal and state governments still shield consumers from unfair rates.

“The government’s concern is how to protect consumers from wild price fluctuations in an unregulated industry,” such as the reshuffling of rates that followed the breakup of AT&T in the 1980s, said John Holtz, director of Green Mountain Energy’s Eastern U.S. markets.

Green Mountain Energy recently entered the New York City residential market, offering various combinations of renewable wind and water energy, from both state and national sources. It is one of about 50 different energy service providers for electricity or natural gas, with Con Edison serving as the mediator. Currently, nearly 20 percent—or 1.1 million New York City residents—now purchase their energy supply from these types of providers. People who select a different energy provider still receive one monthly statement. Con Edison continues to deliver the energy to city consumers and still handles all billing.

Though Con Edison still competes with these energy providers on a retail level, the utility is mandated by the Public Service Commission to let customers know about the various options, assuring them that service will not be interrupted if they switch to another energy provider. Since 1998, Con Edison has offered New York City residents who switch to another energy provider a 7 percent reduction in their natural gas and electricity bill for the first two months of their new service with the provider.

Ambit Energy, another natural gas and electricity supplier, sets its price after Con Edison publishes its own price, apparently making up for low rates with volume (although a spokesperson could not confirm this business strategy). Ambit says that its customers typically save an average of 3 to 5 percent on natural gas and electricity bills compared with Con Edison utility customers.

Ambit also has a loyalty program, enabling households to earn travel points every month toward a partially subsidized vacation. Travel packages range from a five-day discount Carnival cruise to the Bahamas to a three-night stay at a Ritz Carlton.

Ambit, like several other energy companies, is “Green-e Certified,” meaning that a part of the money received from billing funds renewable energy sources elsewhere in the state or country. That may appeal to more eco-minded customers.

“People are becoming aware that this is one easy way that they can make a difference,” said Christopher Chambless, Ambit’s co-founder and CFO.

Another Green-e Certified company is ConEdison Solutions, a sister company of Con Edison. The company puts funds toward locally generated wind power, which “has the added benefit of affecting the immediate region,” said Lauren Kenny, director of ConEdison Solutions’ electric supply in New York.

ConEdison Solutions also advertises a fixed, one-year plan, offering residential customers budget certainty and allowing them to switch back to Con Ed utility during the 12-month contract without a cancellation fee. For those who don’t mind fluctuating monthly bills, ConEd Solution offers a second option: a variable rate that the company determines on a monthly basis, depending on consumers’ usage and the wholesale market price of electricity. The company’s monthly wind power, a third option, costs “the equivalent of a single cup of designer coffee more than our standard power,” Kenny said.

Direct Energy also markets fixed monthly energy rates—a sign, it says, of the company’s financial stability. Owning natural gas and power generation assets and pre-purchasing energy allows the company to manage volatile electricity and natural gas prices.

“Some companies have priced more aggressively than they were financially able to follow through on,” said Chris Kallaher, Direct Energy’s director of government and regulatory affairs. “Our customers can rest assured that we’re actually going to be there to back up our commitment.”

For more information on the various energy providers available in New York City, visit PowerYourWay.com.