[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 87 (Friday, May 6, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-10936]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: May 6, 1994]
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FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
16 CFR Part 305
RIN 3084-AA26
Rule Concerning Disclosures of Energy Consumption and Water Use
Information About Certain Home Appliances and Other Products Required
Under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act; Range of Comparability
for Clothes Washers
AGENCY: Federal Trade Commission.
ACTION: Final rule.
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SUMMARY: The Federal Trade Commission announces that the present ranges
of comparability for clothes washers will remain in effect until new
ranges are published. Under the Appliance Labeling Rule, each required
label on a covered appliance must show a range, or scale, indicating
the range of energy costs or efficiencies for all models of a size or
capacity comparable to the labeled model. The Commission publishes the
ranges annually in the Federal Register if the upper or lower limits of
the range change by 15% or more from the previously published range. If
the Commission does not publish a revised range, it must publish a
notice that the prior range will be applicable until new ranges are
published. The Commission is today announcing that the ranges published
on April 16, 1991, will remain in effect until new ranges are
published.
EFFECTIVE DATE: May 6, 1994.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
James Mills, Attorney, 202-326-3035, Division of Enforcement, Federal
Trade Commission, Washington, DC 20580.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On November 19, 1979, the Commission issued
a final rule,\1\ pursuant to section 324 of the Energy Policy an
Conservation Act of 1975,\2\ covering certain appliance categories,
including clothes washers. The rule requires that energy costs and
related information be disclosed on labels and in retail sales catalogs
for all clothes washers presently manufactured. Certain point-of-sale
promotional materials must disclose the availability of energy usage
information. If a clothes washer is advertised in a catalog from which
it may be purchased by cash, charge account or credit terms, then the
range of estimated annual energy costs for the product must be included
on each page of the catalog that lists the product. The required
disclosures and all claims concerning energy consumption made in
writing or in broadcast advertisements must be based on the results of
test procedures developed by the Department of Energy, which are
referenced in the rule.
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\1\44 FR 66466, 16 CFR Part 305.
\2\Pub. L. 94-163, 89 Stat. 871, 42 U.S.C. 6294 et seq.
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Section 305.8(b) of the rule requires manufacturers to report the
energy usage of their models annually by specified dates for each
product type.\3\ Because the costs for the various types of energy
change yearly, and because manufacturers regularly add new models to
their lines, improve existing models and drop others, the data base
from which the ranges of comparability are calculated is constantly
changing.
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\3\Reports for clothes washers are due by March 1.
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To keep the required information in line with these changes, under
Sec. 305.10 of the rule, the Commission publishes new ranges (but not
more often than annually) if an analysis of the new data indicates that
the upper or lower limits of the ranges have changed by more than 15%
Otherwise, the Commission publishes a statement that the prior range or
ranges remain in effect for the next year.
The annual reports for clothes washers have been received and
analyzed and it has been determined to retain the ranges that were
published on April 16, 1991.\4\ In consideration of the foregoing, the
present ranges for clothes washers, which were based on a national
average electric rate of 8.24 cents per kilowatt hour and a national
average natural gas rate of 60.54 cents per therm, will remain in
effect until the Commission publishes new ranges for these products.
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\4\56 FR 15274.
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List of Subjects in 16 CFR Part 305
Advertising, Energy conservation, Household appliances, Labeling,
Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.
The authority citation for part 305 continues to read as follows:
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 6294.
By direction of the Commission.
Donald S. Clark,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 94-10936 Filed 5-5-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6750-01-M
