Unless this  certificate  is presented by an  authorized  representative  of The
Depository Trust Company, a New York corporation  ("DTC"), to the Company or its
agent for registration of transfer,  exchange,  or payment,  and any certificate
issued  is  registered  in the name of Cede & Co.  or in such  other  name as is
requested  by an  authorized  representative  of DTC (and any payment is made to
Cede  &  Co.  or  to  such  other  entity  as  is  requested  by  an  authorized
representative  of DTC), ANY TRANSFER,  PLEDGE, OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR
OTHERWISE  BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS  WRONGFUL  inasmuch  as the  registered  owner
hereof, Cede & Co., has an interest herein.

      REGISTERED                                            REGISTERED

                   Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc.
                          7.15% DEBENTURES, SERIES 1999 B

      INTEREST RATE           MATURITY DATE                CUSIP
      7.15% per annum         December 1, 2009             209111 __ __


REGISTERED HOLDER: [Cede & Co.]

PRINCIPAL SUM: [TWO HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS ($200,000,000)]

CONSOLIDATED   EDISON  COMPANY  OF  NEW  YORK,  INC.,  a  New  York  corporation
(hereinafter called the "Company", which term includes any successor corporation
under  the  Indenture  hereinafter  referred  to),  for value  received,  hereby
promises to pay to the registered holder named above or registered  assigns,  on
the  maturity  date stated  above,  the  principal  sum stated  above and to pay
interest thereon from December 8, 1999, or from the most recent interest payment
date to which interest has been duly paid or provided for,  initially on June 1,
2000 and thereafter  semi-annually on June 1 and December 1 of each year, at the
interest  rate stated above,  until the date on which payment of such  principal
sum has been made or duly  provided for. The interest so payable on any interest
payment  date  will be paid to the  person  in  whose  name  this  Debenture  is
registered at the close of business on the fifteenth day of the month  preceding
the interest payment date, except as otherwise provided in the Indenture.

      The  principal  of this  Debenture,  when  due and  payable,  shall,  upon
presentation  and  surrender  hereof,  be paid at the  principal  office  of the
Company. The interest on this Debenture,  when due and payable, shall be paid at
the principal office of the Company,  or at the option of the Company,  by check
mailed to the address of the registered  holder hereof or registered  assigns as
such address shall appear in the Security  Register.  All such payments shall be
made in such coin or currency of the United  States of America as at the time of
payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts.






                                          - 2 -

      This Debenture is one of a duly authorized series of an issue of unsecured
debt securities of the Company designated as its 7.15% Debentures, Series 1999 B
(hereinafter  called  the  "Debentures"),  issued  and  to be  issued  under  an
Indenture  dated as of  December  1,  1990  between  the  Company  and The Chase
Manhattan Bank, Trustee  (hereinafter called the "Trustee",  which term includes
any successor  trustee under the Indenture),  as amended and supplemented by the
First Supplemental Indenture, dated as of March 6, 1996, between the Company and
the  Trustee  (hereinafter  called the  "Indenture").  Reference  is made to the
Indenture and any supplemental  indenture  thereto for the provisions  relating,
among other things, to the respective rights of the Company, the Trustee and the
holders of the Debentures, and the terms on which the Debentures are, and are to
be, authenticated and delivered.

      If an Event of Default (as defined in the  Indenture)  shall have occurred
and be continuing  with respect to the Debentures,  the principal hereof may be
declared,  and upon such  declaration  shall  become,  due and  payable,  in the
manner,  with  such  effect  and  subject  to  the  conditions  provided  in the
Indenture.  Any such  declaration  may be  rescinded by holders of a majority in
principal  amount of the  outstanding  Debentures  if all Events of Default with
respect to the  Debentures  (other  than the  non-payment  of  principal  of the
Debentures  which  shall have  become due by such  declaration)  shall have been
remedied.

      The Indenture contains provisions  permitting the Company and the Trustee,
with the  consent  of the  holders  of not less  than a  majority  in  aggregate
principal amount of the Debentures at the time outstanding,  evidenced as in the
Indenture provided, to execute supplemental  indentures adding any provisions to
the Indenture or to any  supplemental  indenture with respect to the Debentures,
or  modifying  in any  manner  the  rights  of the  holders  of the  Debentures;
provided,  however,  that no such  supplemental  indenture  shall (i) extend the
maturity of any Debenture, or reduce the principal amount thereof, or reduce the
rate or extend the time of payment of interest  thereon,  or make the  principal
thereof, or interest thereon, payable in any coin or currency other than that in
the Debentures provided,  without the consent of the holder of each Debenture so
affected,  or (ii) reduce the  aforesaid  principal  amount of  Debentures,  the
holders of which are  required  to consent  to any such  supplemental  indenture
without the consent of the holders of all Debentures then outstanding.





                                        -3-


      The  Debentures  are  issuable  as  registered  Debentures  only,  in  the
denomination  of $1000  and any  integral  multiples  of $1000  approved  by the
Company, such approval to be evidenced by the execution thereof.

      This Debenture is transferable  by the registered  holder hereof in person
or by his attorney duly authorized in writing on the books of the Company at the
office or agency to be maintained  by the Company for that purpose,  but only in
the  manner,  subject  to  the  limitations  and  upon  payment  of  any  tax or
governmental charge for which the Company may require  reimbursement as provided
in the Indenture,  and upon surrender and  cancellation of this Debenture.  Upon
any  registration  of transfer,  a new registered  Debenture or  Debentures,  of
authorized  denomination or denominations,  and in the same aggregate  principal
amount, will be issued to the transferee in exchange therefor.

      The Company,  the Trustee, any paying agent and any Security registrar may
deem and treat  the  registered  holder  hereof  as the  absolute  owner of this
Debenture  (whether or not this Debenture  shall be overdue and  notwithstanding
any notations of ownership or other writing hereon made by anyone other than the
Security registrar) for the purpose of receiving payment of or on account of the
principal  hereof and interest  due hereon as herein  provided and for all other
purposes,  and neither the Company nor the Trustee nor any paying  agent nor any
Security registrar shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.

      No recourse  shall be had for the payment of the  principal of or interest
on this  Debenture,  or for any claim  based  hereon,  or  otherwise  in respect
hereof, or based on or in respect of the Indenture or any indenture supplemental
thereto,  against  any  incorporator  or  against  any past,  present  or future
stockholder,  officer  or  member  of the  Board of  Trustees,  as such,  of the
Company,  whether by virtue of any  constitution,  statute or rule of law, or by
the  enforcement of any  assessment or penalty or otherwise,  all such liability
being, by the acceptance  hereof and as part of the  consideration for the issue
hereof, expressly waived and released.

      This Debenture shall be deemed to be a contract made under the laws of the
State of New York,  and for all purposes  shall be construed in accordance  with
the laws of the State of New York.

      All terms used in this  Debenture  which are defined in the  Indenture and
not defined herein shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.






                                        -4-


      This Debenture shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture or
be valid or obligatory for any purpose until the  certificate of  authentication
on the face hereof is manually signed by the Trustee.

      IN WITNESS WHEREOF,  the Company has caused this Debenture to be signed by
the manual or facsimile  signatures of a Vice President and the Treasurer of the
Company,  and a  facsimile  of its  corporate  seal to be affixed or  reproduced
hereon.


            CONSOLIDATED EDISON COMPANY OF NEW YORK, INC.

By

                          Vice President and Treasurer

By

                          Executive Vice President and Chief Financial
                              Officer

SEAL


TRUSTEE'S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION
This is one of the Securities of the series  designated  herein issued under the
Indenture described herein.

                                    THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK,
                                      as Trustee


By

                                    Authorized Officer