(Bloomberg) -- Power giant Consolidated Edison Inc. is asking a quarter of a million residents in outer boroughs of New York City to curb their energy use as high heat sears the East Coast.

The utility reduced voltage by 8% in parts of Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx to protect equipment while crews make unspecified repairs in several communities that are home to about 252,000 customers. The affected regions include Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Bedford Stuyvesant, Elmhurst, Jamaica Estates, Mott Haven and Melrose, according to emailed statements on Monday and Tuesday. 

A heat advisory is in place for the area until 8 p.m. Tuesday, with maximum temperatures nudging above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32.2 degrees Celsius) in recent days.

Con Edison asked homes and businesses in the affected areas to refrain from using power-hungry appliances including washers, dryers and microwaves until the crew completes repairs. It also requested that residents only use one air conditioner.

Earlier in the summer, the utility dialed back voltage in parts of Brooklyn amid stifling heat.

Still, temperatures are expected to moderate slightly in coming days. Maximum daily temperatures were between 89 degrees and 91 degrees Fahrenheit at New York’s John F. Kennedy International airport during Aug. 2-8. They are predicted to dip to 85 degrees on Aug. 10 and stay below that level through the end of the month, according to the National Weather Service’s global forecast system.

(Updates with Bronx added to affected areas in the first and second paragraphs.)

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