The order of a typical service upgrade
- Load calculation (NEC Article 220) for the whole building, with everything you plan to add.
- Drawings: riser / one-line diagram and panel schedule.
- Your licensed electrician reviews, adopts and files the electrical work.
- Con Edison service request through its Project Center, with the load letter for the building's new and existing load. Con Edison designs the final service from that request (Blue Book 2026, p. 35).
Con Edison rules that catch people out
- Outdoor meter. Outdoor electric metering is required on 1, 2 and 3 family homes (Blue Book p. 7). An upgrade is often when an indoor meter has to move.
- Voltage. New service is 1-phase 120/240 V, 1-phase 120/208 V or 3-phase 120/208 V (p. 11). 120/208 V single-phase needs a 5-jaw meter socket (p. 42).
- Minimum size. The minimum service entrance and service equipment is three-wire, 100 amps (p. 33).
- Switching to electric heat. Con Edison will not supply service to convert an existing dwelling to electric space heating unless it meets minimum insulation standards (roof/ceiling R-19, storm or multi-glazed windows, storm or thermal doors), unless a waiver applies (pp. 36-37).
Source: Con Edison, Specifications for Electric Installations ("Blue Book"), 2026 edition, revised May 2026.
100, 150 or 200 amps?
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Check your service size free, then order the package. Service upgrade package: $497, fixed price.
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How do I know if I need a 200 amp service?
A load calculation tells you. It adds your lighting, appliances, heating or cooling and EV chargers with the NEC demand factors. If the result is over your existing service, you need a bigger one.
Does Con Edison require the meter outside?
For 1, 2 and 3 family homes, yes: outdoor metering is a requirement (Con Edison Blue Book 2026, p. 7).
What does a service upgrade package cost?
$497 for a one-family home (load calc, riser / one-line, panel schedule), plus $147 for each additional dwelling unit. Fixed price, shown before you order.