8.1-1

APPENDIX 8.1. GLOSSARY OF VARIABLES AND THEIR VALUES 

FROM EIA’S RECS97

The Department created a database, using Microsoft ACCESS, which contains a subset of the

records and variables from EIA’s 1997 Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS97).1 The

Department used this RECS subset in the life-cycle cost (LCC) analysis of the Residential Furnace and

Boiler Rulemaking. This appendix explains the variable name abbreviations and provides definitions of

the variable values. For the entire RECS97 dataset, refer to

http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/recs/contents.html.

In the glossary below, the variable names are listed alphabetically. A brief explanation of the

variable name as it appears in the database file follows the name. Definitions of the variable’s values

are listed below the name.

In the ACCESS database file, the Department created one table and a query file for each of the

six product classes. Looking at the query filter shows the algorithm used to select the records for each

different product class. The variables listed appear in the LCC spreadsheets in essentially the same

order as they do in the database file.
8.1-2

AGECENAC AGE OF CENTRAL A/C

EQUIP

LESS THAN 2 YEARS OLD = 1

2 TO 4 YEARS OLD = 2

5 TO 9 YEARS OLD = 3

10 TO 19 YEARS OLD = 4

20 YEARS OR OLDER = 5

AS OLD AS THE HOME (IF

VOLUNTEERED) = 6

DON’T KNOW = 96

NOT APPLICABLE = 99

BTUELCOL ELEC AIR COND USE EST IN

THOUSANDS OF BTU

9999999 = NOT APPLICABLE

BTUFOSPH FO SPACE HEAT USE EST

THOUSANDS OF BTU 9999999 = NOT

APPLICABLE

BTULPSPH LPG SPACE HEAT USE EST IN

KS OF BTU 9999999 = NOT APPLICABLE

BTUNGSPH NAT GAS SPACE HEAT USE

EST THOUSANDS OF BTU

9999999 = NOT APPLICABLE

CDD65 COOLING DD TO BASE 65 1-97

TO 12-97

COOLING DEGREE DAYS ARE THE

NUMBER OF DEGREES THE AVERAGE

DAILY TEMPERATURE IS ABOVE THE

BASE TEMPERATURE.

TO CALCULATE DEGREE DAYS:

AVERAGE DAILY TEMPERATURE (ADT) =

HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR DAY PLUS THE

LOW DIVIDED BY 2.

COOLING DEGREE DAY (CDD) = ADT -

BASE TEMPERATURE. IF HDD OR CDD =

OR < 0, DEGREE DAY (DD) = 0.

CUMULATED DEGREE DAYS ARE IN

WHOLE DAYS.

COOLTYPE TYPE OF AC EQUIP

CENTRAL SYSTEM = 1

INDIVIDUAL UNITS = 2

BOTH CENTRAL AND UNITS = 3

DON’T KNOW = 6

REFUSED = 7

NO ANSWER = 8

NOT APPLICABLE = 9

DIVISION CENSUS DIVISION

NEW ENGLAND = 1

MIDDLE ATLANTIC = 2

EAST NORTH CENTRAL = 3

WEST NORTH CENTRAL = 4

SOUTH ATLANTIC = 5

EAST SOUTH CENTRAL = 6

WEST SOUTH CENTRAL = 7

MOUNTAIN = 8

PACIFIC = 9

DOEID DOE 4-DIGIT IDENTIFICATION

NUMBER

DOLLARFO ESTIMATED COST OF FO IN

DOLLARS 99999 = NOT APPLICABLE
8.1-3

DOLLARLP ESTIMATED COST OF LPG

IN DOLLARS 99999 = NOT APPLICABLE

ELECRATE LOCAL ELECTRIC RATE FOR

1000KWH AVERAGE RESIDENTIAL RATE,

IN CENTS PER KILOWATT, OF

ELECTRICITY COMPUTED FROM 1997

TYPICAL ELECTRIC BILL DATA. WHERE

DATA WERE NOT AVAILABLE, A RATE

WAS IMPUTED FROM KNOWN RATES IN

AREAS NEAR THE HOUSEHOLD WITH

MISSING INFORMATION. DATA

INCLUDES AN ERROR TERM.

FIELD CONTAINS ONE IMPLIED

DECIMAL PLACE.

999 = NOT APPLICABLE

EQUIPAGE AGE OF MAIN HEATING

EQUIP 

LESS THAN 2 YEARS OLD = 1

2 TO 4 YEARS OLD = 2

5 TO 9 YEARS OLD = 3

10 TO 19 YEARS OLD = 4

20 YEARS OR OLDER = 5

AS OLD AS THE HOME (IF

VOLUNTEERED) = 6

DON’T KNOW = 96

NOT APPLICABLE = 99

EQUIPM MAIN HOME HEATING

EQUIPMENT 

STEAM = 2

CENTRAL WARM-AIR FURNACE WITH

DUCTS = 3

HEAT PUMP = 4

BUILT-IN ELECTRIC UNITS IN THE

WALLS, ETC. = 5

BUILT-IN FLOOR = 6

ROOM HEATER BURNING GAS, OIL, OR

KEROSENE = 7

HEATING STOVE = 8

FIREPLACE = 9

PORTABLE ELECTRIC HEATERS = 10

PORTABLE KEROSENE HEATERS = 11

COOKING STOVE (USED TO HEAT

HOME) = 12

EQUIPMENT NOT LISTED = 21

NOT APPLICABLE = 99

FUELHEAT MAIN HOME HEATING FUEL 

CON 3

NATURAL GAS FROM UNDERGROUND

PIPES = 1

BOTTLED GAS (LPG OR PROPANE) = 2

FUEL OIL = 3

KEROSENE = 4

ELECTRICITY = 5

WOOD = 7

SOLAR = 8

DISTRICT STEAM = 9

SOME OTHER FUEL = 21

DON’T HEAT HOME = 00

GALLONFO EST GALLONS OF FUEL OIL

BOUGHT 999999 = NOT APPLICABLE

GALLONLP EST GALLONS OF LPG

BOUGHT OBS 6

999999 = NOT APPLICABLE
8.1-4

HDD65 HEATING DD TO BASE 65 1-97 TO

12-97

HEATING DEGREE DAYS ARE THE

NUMBER OF DEGREES THE AVERAGE

DAILY TEMPERATURE IS BELOW THE

BASE TEMPERATURE.

TO CALCULATE DEGREE DAYS:

AVERAGE DAILY TEMPERATURE (ADT) =

HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR DAY PLUS THE

LOW DIVIDED BY 2.

HEATING DEGREE DAY (HDD) = BASE

TEMPERATURE (E.G. 65 DEGREES) - ADT

IF HDD = OR < 0, DEGREE DAY (DD) = 0.

CUMULATED DEGREE DAYS ARE IN

WHOLE DAYS.

LRG+DIV LARGE STATE AND CENSUS

DIVISION DESIGNATIONS

NEW ENGLAND = 1

MIDDLE ATLANTIC LESS NY = 2

EAST NORTH CENTRAL = 3

WEST NORTH CENTRAL = 4

SOUTH ATLANTIC LESS FL = 5

EAST SOUTH CENTRAL = 6

WEST SOUTH CENTRAL LESS TX = 7

MOUNTAIN = 8

PACIFIC LESS CA = 9

NEW YORK STATE = 10

CALIFORNIA = 11

TEXAS = 12

FLORIDA = 13

LRGSTATE LARGE STATE DESIGNATION

NEW YORK STATE = 1

CALIFORNIA = 2

TEXAS = 3

FLORIDA = 4

NHSLDMEM NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLD

MEMBERS 

DON’T KNOW = 96

REFUSED = 97

NO ANSWER = 98

NOT APPLICABLE = 99

NWEIGHT THE FINAL WEIGHT

THE FINAL WEIGHT (REFLECTING THE

PRODUCT OF THE PRE-SECOND STAGE

WEIGHT AND THREE ADJUSTMENTS)

POOR100 BELOW 100 PERCENT OF

POVERTY

POVERTY DEFINED AS 100 PERCENT OF

POVERTY LINE. POVERTY LINE VARIES

WITH HOUSEHOLD SIZE (1-9), AGE AND

HOUSEHOLD INCOME. FOR HOUSEHOLD

SIZE OF :

1 - AGE 65 AND OVER, LESS THAN $ 7,525

1 - AGE 64 AND UNDER, LESS THAN $ 8,163

2 - AGE 65 AND OVER, LESS THAN $ 9,491

2 - AGE 64 AND UNDER, LESS THAN $

10,507

3 - LESS THAN $ 12,516

4 - LESS THAN $16,036

5 - LESS THAN $18,952

6 - LESS THAN $21,389

7 - LESS THAN $24,268

8 - LESS THAN $27,091

9 OR MORE - LESS THAN $31,971

POOR 100% = 1

NONPOOR = 0

NO ANSWER = 8

REGIONC CENSUS REGION

NORTHEAST = 1

MIDWEST = 2

SOUTH = 3

WEST = 4

SQFTREG MODEL-BASED EST. OF

HEATED SQ FT

99999 = NOT APPLICABLE
8.1-5

TYPEHUQ RESP REPORTED TYPE OF

HOME

MOBILE HOME = 1

SINGLE-FAMILY DETACHED = 2

SINGLE-FAMILY ATTACHED = 3

APARTMENT BUILDING WITH 2-4 UNITS =

4

APARTMENT BUILDING WITH 5 OR MORE

UNITS = 5

UGASRATE LOCAL NATURAL GAS RATE

FOR MCF AVERAGE RESIDENTIAL RATE

FOR MCF OF NATURAL GAS COMPUTED

FROM 1997 TYPICAL NATURAL GAS BILL

DATA. WHERE DATA WERE NOT

AVAILABLE, A RATE WAS IMPUTED

FROM KNOWN RATES IN AREAS NEAR

THE HOUSEHOLD WITH MISSING

INFORMATION. DATA INCLUDES AN

ERROR TERM. HOUSEHOLDS THAT DO

NOT USE NATURAL GAS ARE CODED

9999 FOR NOT APPLICABLE.

FIELD CONTAINS TWO IMPLIED DECIMAL

PLACES.

YEARMADE YEAR HOME BUILT 

BEFORE 1940 = 1

1940-49 = 2

1950-59 = 3

1960-69 = 4

1970-76 = 5

1977-79 = 6

1980-86 = 7

1987-89 = 8

1990 = 9

1991 = 10

1992 = 11

1993 = 12

1994 = 13

1995 = 14

1996 = 15

1997 = 16

NOT APPLICABLE = 99

YEARS1 INFANTS IN HH UNDER 1 

NOT APPLICABLE = 99

YEARS2 CHILDREN IN HH 1-12 

NOT APPLICABLE = 99

YEARS3 ADULTS IN HH OVER 65 

DON’T KNOW = 96

REFUSED = 97

NO ANSWER = 98

NOT APPLICABLE = 99

YEARS4 ADULTS IN HH OVER 75 

NOT APPLICABLE = 99
8.1-6

REFERENCE

1. U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Information Administration, Residential Energy

Consumption Survey: Household Energy Consumption and Expenditures 1997, 1999. 

Washington, DC. Report No. DOE/EIA-0321(97).

<http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/recs/recs97/publicusefiles.html>