With all the hot and stormy weather hitting the borough recently, Con Edison is offering tips on how to stay safe and save money on electricity bills.

If people spot downed power lines anywhere, it would be safe to assume they are live and should be avoided and reported. Also, in the event of a power outage, residents are advised to turn off any appliances that would automatically turn on once power is restored to avoid a circuit overload.

Con Edison recommends keeping an extra supply of batteries on hand, for flashlights, radios and other appliances that may be needed in case of an outage.

As for keeping cool in the heat, Con Edison recommends people to turn off their air conditioners, lights, fans and other appliances when not home. They suggest setting your air condition units to 78 degrees, since every degree lower can raise the bill by six percent, and to keep their filters clean.