UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT




                                                       April 7, 2003

To the Representatives Named
on the Signature Page Hereof:

Dear Sirs:

Subject to the terms and conditions stated or incorporated by reference herein,
Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc (the "Company") hereby agrees to
sell to the Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the "Underwriters") and the
Underwriters hereby agree to purchase, severally and not jointly, the principal
amount set forth opposite their names in Schedule I hereto of the securities
specified in Schedule II hereto (the "Designated Securities").

The representatives named on the signature page hereof (the "Representatives")
represent that the Underwriters have authorized the Representatives to enter
into this Underwriting Agreement and to act hereunder on their behalf.

Except as otherwise provided in Schedule II hereto each of the provisions of the
Company's Underwriting Agreement Basic Provisions, dated November 1, 1999, as
filed as Exhibit 1.2 to Registration Statement No. 333-90385 (the "Basic
Provisions"), is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and shall be
deemed to be a part of this Agreement to the same extent as if such provisions
had been set forth in full herein. Unless otherwise defined herein, terms
defined in the Basic Provisions are used herein as therein defined.

Payment for the Designated Securities will be made against delivery thereof to
the Representatives for the accounts of the respective Underwriters at the time
and place and at the purchase price to the Underwriters set forth in Schedule II
hereto.








                                      - 2 -


If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign and
return to us counterparts hereof, and upon acceptance hereof by you, on behalf
of each of the Underwriters, this letter and such acceptance hereof, including
the Basic Provisions incorporated herein by reference, shall constitute a
binding agreement between each of the Underwriters and the Company.

                                               Very truly yours,

                                        CONSOLIDATED EDISON COMPANY
                                                   OF NEW YORK, INC.


                                        By: /s/  Robert P. Stelben
                                                 Robert P. Stelben
                                            Vice President and Treasurer

Confirmed and Accepted as of the date hereof on behalf of itself and each other
Underwriter, if any:

                                    MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH
                                                INCORPORATED


 Goldman, Sachs & Co.               By: /s/ Brant Meleski
(Goldman, Sachs & Co.)                      Brant Meleski
                                            Vice President









                                   SCHEDULE I

                                                          Principal Amount of
                                                         Designated Securities
Underwriter                                                  to be Purchased

        Goldman, Sachs & Co.                                     $50,750,000
        Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
                    Incorporated                                  50,750,000
        Citigroup Global Markets Inc.                             10,500,000
        Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated                         10,500,000
        J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.                               10,500,000
        Lehman Brothers Inc.                                      10,500,000
        BNY Capital Markets, Inc.                                  7,000,000
        Banc One Capital Markets, Inc.                             7,000,000
        HSBC Securities (USA) Inc.                                 7,000,000
        Mellon Financial Markets, LLC                              7,000,000
        M.R. Beal & Company                                        1,750,000
        The Williams Capital Group, L.P.                           1,750,000

             Total                                              $175,000,000









                                   SCHEDULE II


Title of Designated Securities:


        5.875% Debentures, Series 2003 A.


Aggregate principal amount:

        $175,000,000


Price to Public:

        Initially 99.416% of the principal amount of the Designated Securities,
        plus accrued interest, if any, from April 10, 2003 to the date of
        delivery, and thereafter at market prices prevailing at the time of sale
        or at negotiated prices.


Purchase Price by Underwriters:

        98.541% of the principal amount of the Designated Securities, plus
        accrued interest, if any, from April 10, 2003 to the date of delivery.


Specified funds for, and manner of, payment of purchase price:

        Funds will be delivered by wire transfer pursuant to the Company's
        written instructions to the Representatives.

Indenture:

        Indenture, dated as of December 1, 1990, between the Company and
        JPMorgan Chase Bank (successor to The Chase Manhattan Bank), as Trustee,
        as amended and supplemented by the First Supplemental Indenture, dated
        as of March 6, 1996, between the Company and The Chase Manhattan Bank,
        as Trustee.







                                      - 2 -


Maturity:

        April 1, 2033


Interest Rate:

        5.875% per annum.


Interest Payment Dates:

        October 1, 2003, and thereafter semi-annually on each April 1 and
October 1, except as otherwise provided in the Indenture.


Redemption Provisions:

        As set forth in the prospectus supplement, dated April 7, 2002, for the
        Designated Securities supplementing the prospectus, dated November 27,
        2002, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule
        424(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, in connection with
        the Registration Statement on Form S-3 (No: 333-101227, declared
        effective by the Commission on November 27, 2002).

Sinking Fund Provisions:

        None.


Time of Delivery:

        10:00 a.m., on April 10, 2003.


Closing Location:

        Room 1618-S at the Company, 4 Irving Place, New York, NY 10003.





                                      - 3 -


Information furnished by or on behalf of the Underwriters for use in the
Prospectus for the Designated Securities:

        The sentence regarding delivery of the Designated Securities on the
        front cover of the Prospectus Supplement

Address of Representatives:

        Goldman, Sachs & Co,              Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
                                                      Incorporated
        85 Broad Street                   4 World Financial Center
        New York, NY 10004                New York, NY 10080

        Attention:Don Hanson              Attention: John Thorndike
                  Registration Department

Captions in the Prospectus and Prospectus Supplement referred to in Section
6(c)(xi) of the Basic Provisions:

        Description of Securities
        Description of Debentures

Modification of Basic Provisions


Delete Section 4 (c) of the Basic Provisions in its entirety and substitute the
following:

"(a) To deliver to the Representatives conformed copies of the Registration
Statement, and each amendment thereto, including exhibits thereto and documents
incorporated by reference therein, and to furnish to the Underwriters copies of
the Prospectus, and each amendment or supplement thereto, in such quantities as
the Representatives may from time to time reasonably request, and, if the
delivery of a prospectus is required at any time in connection with the offering
or sale of the Designated Securities and if at that time any event shall have
occurred as a result of which the Prospectus would include an untrue statement
of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make
the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were
made when the Prospectus is delivered, not misleading, or, if for any other
reason it shall be necessary during the same period to amend or supplement the
Prospectus or to file under the Exchange Act any document incorporated by
reference in the Prospectus in order to comply with the Act or the Exchange Act,
to notify the Representatives and upon its request to file the document and to
prepare and furnish without charge to the Underwriters and to any dealer in
securities as many copies as the Representatives may from time to time
reasonably request of an amended Prospectus or a supplement to the Prospectus
that will correct the statement or omission or effect compliance;"

Delete Section 6 (d) of the Basic Provisions in its entirety and substitute the
following:

"The Representatives shall have received at the Time of Delivery a letter from
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, dated the Time of Delivery, substantially in the
form theretofore supplied to and deemed satisfactory by the Representatives."