98-23150. Rule Concerning Disclosures Regarding Energy Consumption and Water Use of Certain Home Appliances and Other Products Required Under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (``Appliance Labeling Rule'')  

  • [Federal Register Volume 63, Number 167 (Friday, August 28, 1998)]
    [Rules and Regulations]
    [Pages 45941-45943]
    From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
    [FR Doc No: 98-23150]
    
    
    =======================================================================
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
    
    16 CFR Part 305
    
    
    Rule Concerning Disclosures Regarding Energy Consumption and 
    Water Use of Certain Home Appliances and Other Products Required Under 
    the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (``Appliance Labeling Rule'')
    
    AGENCY: Federal Trade Commission.
    
    ACTION: Final rule.
    
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------
    
    SUMMARY: The Federal Trade Commission (``Commission'') amends its 
    Appliance Labeling Rule by publishing new ranges of comparability to be 
    used on required labels for instantaneous water heaters. The Commission 
    also announces that the current ranges of comparability for room air 
    conditioners, storage-type water heaters, heat pump water heaters, pool 
    heaters, furnaces, boilers, and dishwashers will remain in effect until 
    further notice.
    
    EFFECTIVE DATE: November 27, 1998.
    
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
    James Mills, Attorney, Division of Enforcement, Federal Trade 
    Commission, Washington, DC 20580 (202-326-3035).
    
    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Appliance Labeling Rule (``Rule'') was 
    issued by the Commission in 1979 (44 FR 66466 (Nov. 19, 1979)) in 
    response to a directive in the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 
    1975.\1\ The Rule covers eight categories of major household 
    appliances: refrigerators and refrigerator-freezers, freezers, 
    dishwashers, clothes washers, water heaters (this category includes 
    storage-type water heaters, instantaneous water heaters, and heat pump 
    water heaters), room air conditioners, furnaces (this category includes 
    boilers), and central air conditioners (this category includes heat 
    pumps). The Rule also covers pool heaters (59 FR 49556 (Sept. 28, 
    1994)), and contains requirements that pertain to fluorescent lamp 
    ballasts (54 FR 28031 (July 5, 1989)), certain plumbing products (58 FR 
    54955 (Oct. 25, 1993)), and certain lighting products (59 FR 25176 (May 
    13, 1994)).
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    
        \1\ 42 U.S.C. 6294. The statute also requires DOE to develop 
    test procedures that measure how much energy the appliances use, and 
    to determine the representative average cost a consumer pays for the 
    different types of energy available.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    
        The Rule requires manufacturers of all covered appliances and pool 
    heaters to disclose specific energy consumption or efficiency 
    information (derived from the DOE test procedures) at the point of sale 
    in the form of an ``EnergyGuide'' label and in catalogs. It also 
    requires manufacturers of furnaces, central air conditioners, and heat 
    pumps either to provide fact sheets showing additional cost 
    information, or to be listed in an industry directory showing the cost 
    information for their products. The Rule requires that manufacturers 
    include, on labels and fact sheets, an energy consumption or efficiency 
    figure and a ``range of comparability.'' This range shows the highest 
    and lowest energy consumption or efficiencies for all comparable 
    appliance models so
    
    [[Page 45942]]
    
    consumers can compare the energy consumption or efficiency of other 
    models (perhaps competing brands) similar to the labeled model. The 
    Rule requires that manufacturers also include, on labels for some 
    products, a secondary energy usage disclosure in the form of an 
    estimated annual operating cost based on a specified DOE national 
    average cost for the fuel the appliance uses.
        Section 305.8(b) of the Rule requires manufacturers, after filing 
    an initial report, to report annually (by specified dates for each 
    product type) \2\ the estimated annual energy consumption or energy 
    efficiency ratings for the appliances derived from tests performed 
    pursuant to the DOE test procedures. 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. Under Section 305.10 of the Rule, to 
    keep the required information on labels consistent with these changes, 
    the Commission publishes new ranges (but not more often than annually) 
    if an analysis of the new information 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 ranges remain in effect 
    for the next year.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    
        \2\ Reports for room air conditioners, water heaters (storage-
    type, instantaneous, and heat pump-type), furnaces, boilers, and 
    pool heaters are due May 1. Reports for dishwashers are due June 1.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    
        The annual submissions of data for room air conditioners, water 
    heaters (including storage-type, instantaneous, and heat pump water 
    heaters), furnaces, boilers, pool heaters, and dishwashers have been 
    made and have been analyzed by the Commission.
        The ranges of comparability for room air conditioners, storage-type 
    water heaters, heat pump water heaters, furnaces, boilers, dishwashers, 
    and pool heaters have not changed by more than 15% from the current 
    ranges for these products. Therefore, the current ranges for these 
    products will remain in effect until further notice.\3\ This means that 
    manufacturers of storage-type water heaters, furnaces, and boilers must 
    continue to use the ranges that were published on September 23, 1994, 
    and that manufacturers of storage-type water heaters must continue to 
    base the disclosures of estimated annual operating cost required at the 
    bottom of Energy Guides for these products on the 1994 Representative 
    Average Unit Costs of Energy for electricity (8.41 cents per kilo Watt-
    hour), natural gas (60.4 cents per therm), propane (98 cents per 
    gallon), and/or No. 2 heating oil ($1.05 per gallon) that were 
    published by DOE on December 29, 1993 (58 FR 68901), and by the 
    Commission on February 8, 1994 (59 FR 5699). Manufacturers of heat pump 
    water heaters and pool heaters must continue to use the ranges that 
    were published on August 21, 1995. Manufacturers of room air 
    conditioners must continue to use the corrected ranges for room air 
    conditioners that were published on November 13, 1995. Manufacturers of 
    heat pump water heaters, pool heaters, and room air conditioners must 
    continue to base the disclosures of estimated annual operating cost 
    required at the bottom of Energy Guides for these products on the 1995 
    Representative average Unit Costs of Energy for electricity (8.67 cents 
    per kilo Watt-hour), natural gas (63 cents per therm), propane (98.5 
    cents per gallon), and/or No. 2 heating oil ($1.008 per gallon) that 
    were published by DOE on January 5, 1995 (60 FR 1773), and by the 
    Commission on February 17, 1995 (60 FR 9295). Manufacturers of 
    dishwashers must continue to use the ranges that were published on 
    August 25, 1997, and must continue to base the disclosures of estimated 
    annual operating cost required at the bottom of Energy Guides for these 
    product on the 1997 Representative Average Unit Costs of Energy for 
    electricity (8.31 cents per kilo Watt-hour), natural gas (61.2 cents 
    per therm), propane (98 cents per gallon), and/or No. 2 heating oil (99 
    cents per gallon) that were published by DOE on November 18, 1996 (61 
    FR 58679), and the Commission on February 5, 1997 (62 FR 5316).
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    
        \3\ The current ranges for storage-type water heaters, furnaces, 
    and boilers were published on September 23, 1994 (59 FR 48796). The 
    current ranges for heat pump water heaters, pool heaters, and room 
    air conditioners (originally) were published on August 21, 1995 (60 
    FR 43367). A corrected version of the ranges for room air 
    conditioners was published on November 13, 1995 (60 FR 56945, at 
    56949). The current ranges for dishwashers were published on August 
    25, 1997 (62 FR 44890).
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    
        The data submission for instantaneous water heaters has resulted in 
    new ranges of comparability figures for these products, which will 
    supersede the current ranges.\4\
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    
        \4\ The current ranges for instantaneous water heaters were 
    published on September 16, 1996 (61 FR 48620). Because the 
    Commission has never received any submissions of data for oil-fired 
    instantaneous water heaters, the ranges for these products show ``no 
    data submitted'' for all size categories. The Commission will not, 
    therefore, amend the ranges for oil-fired instantaneous water 
    heaters because they have not changed.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    
        In consideration of the foregoing, the Commission revises Appendix 
    D4 of Part 305 by publishing the following ranges of comparability for 
    use in required disclosures (including labeling) for instantaneous 
    water heaters manufactured on or after November 27, 1998. In addition, 
    as of this effective date, manufacturers of instantaneous water heaters 
    must base the disclosures of estimated annual operating cost required 
    at the bottom of Energy Guides for instantaneous water heaters on the 
    1998 Representative average Unit Costs of Energy for electricity (8.42 
    cents per kilo Watt-hour), natural gas (61.9 cents per therm), propane 
    (95 cents per gallon), and/or No. 2 heating oil (95 cents per gallon) 
    that were published by DOE on December 8, 1997 (62 FR 64574), and by 
    the Commission on December 29, 1997 (62 FR 67560).
    
    List of Subjects in 16 CFR part 305
    
        Advertising, Energy conservation, Household appliances, Labeling, 
    Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.
        Accordingly, 16 CFR Part 305 is amended as follows:
    
    PART 305--[AMENDED]
    
        1. The authority citation for Part 305 continues to read as 
    follows:
        Authority: 42 U.S.C. 6294.
    
        2. Appendix D4 to Part 305 is revised to read as follows:
    
    Appendix D4 to Part 305--Water Heaters--Instantaneous--Gas
    
        Range Information:
    
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                            Capacity                           Range of estimated annual energy consumption (therms/
    ---------------------------------------------------------                  yr. and gallons/yr.)                 
                                                             -------------------------------------------------------
                                                                Natural gas therms/yr.        Propane gallons/yr.   
                        First hour rating                    -------------------------------------------------------
                                                                   Low          High           Low          High    
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Less than 21............................................          (*)           (*)           (*)           (*) 
    21 to 24................................................          (*)           (*)           (*)           (*) 
    25 to 29................................................          (*)           (*)           (*)           (*) 
    
    [[Page 45943]]
    
                                                                                                                    
    30 to 34................................................          (*)           (*)           (*)           (*) 
    35 to 40................................................          (*)           (*)           (*)           (*) 
    41 to 47................................................          (*)           (*)           (*)           (*) 
    48 to 55................................................          (*)           (*)           (*)           (*) 
    56 to 64................................................          (*)           (*)           (*)           (*) 
    65 to 74................................................          (*)           (*)           (*)           (*) 
    75 to 86................................................          (*)           (*)           (*)           (*) 
    87 to 99................................................          (*)           (*)           (*)           (*) 
    100 to 114..............................................          230           234           252           256 
    115 to 131..............................................          (*)           (*)           (*)           (*) 
    Over 131................................................          161           238           184           260 
    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    *No data submitted.                                                                                             
    
        By direction of the Commission.
    Donald S. Clark,
    Secretary.
    [FR Doc. 98-23150 Filed 8-27-98; 8:45 am]
    BILLING CODE 6750-01-M
    
    
    

Document Information

Effective Date:
11/27/1998
Published:
08/28/1998
Department:
Federal Trade Commission
Entry Type:
Rule
Action:
Final rule.
Document Number:
98-23150
Dates:
November 27, 1998.
Pages:
45941-45943 (3 pages)
PDF File:
98-23150.pdf
CFR: (1)
16 CFR 305