Children play in a fountain to cool off at New York City's Battery Park in lower Manhattan as heat wave spread over eastern U.S.
New York City managed to break its record for power usage as extreme temperatures continue to blanket much of the nation. Reuters

On Friday, New York City broke another heat-related record, only this time, it wasn't for its temperature.

On July 19, the city broke its nearly two-year-old record for electric usage as air conditioners and fans went full blast against what felt like triple-digit temperatures.

The heat wave caused electric usage to peak at 13,214 megawatts (MW) at 2 p.m. The previous electric usage record, 13,189 MW, was set on July 22, 2011, according to Con Ed.

Although the company understands its customers' need to remain cool, it requests its users to conserve energy "as best as possible."

"Demand response programs, which pay large customers to cut back on power usage during heat waves, are helping to reduce demand by approximately 400 MW. Meanwhile, Con Edison crews continue to work tirelessly in the intense heat conditions to restore customers impacted by scattered power outages," Con Ed said in a statement.

Con Ed also provided a list of ways to help lower energy usage during the heat wave.

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