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**1994 RTECS Public Use Data User's Guide**

##### **TABLE OF CONTENTS**

Survey Background1994 RTECS Published ReportHow to Obtain Products and ServicesPrinted PublicationsDecompressing the Data FilesDocumentation AppendicesPrinting the DocumentationChanges from the Previous RTECS Public Use FilesConfidentiality ProvisionsContacts

##### **EXHIBITS**

Exhibit 1. Logical File Groupings
Exhibit 2. Diskette Contents
Exhibit 3. Number of Fields and
Bytes Per File

##### **RELATED APPENDICES AND APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF PAGES** (Available with
public use data)

A. Cautions when Using Data ( 4 pages)
B. Logical Files and Associated Variables (approx. 63 pages)
C. Number of Fields and Bytes per File (3 pages)
D. Code Used to Produce the 1994 RTECS Tables (approximately 30 pages)
E. Variable Names and their Definitions (approximately 480 pages)
F. Imputations (1 page)
G. Index to Data Items (1 page)
H. Changes in Variables from 1991 to 1994 (2 pages)
I. Control Variable Frequencies (approx. 231 pages)
J. Use of Weights to Estimate Population Characteristics (9 pages) 
K. Vehicle Numbering Scheme (1 page)**SURVEY BACKGROUND**

This is the third time that data collected on the Residential Transportation Energy
Consumption Survey are available on either microcomputer readable diskettes or on the
Internet. At this time, only the 1988, 1991, and 1994 RTECS data are available on
diskettes. The 1991 and 1994 are available on the Internet. Prior to 1988, the public use
data were available on magnetic tapes only.

The public use files contain data based on household telephone interviews from the 1994
Residential Transportation Energy Consumption Survey (RTECS). The survey was taken from a
subsample of respondents to the 1993 Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS).

During the 1993 RECS personal interview, selected vehicle characteristics were obtained
for up to eight vehicles. Further information about these vehicles, and data relating to
additional vehicles in the household were then obtained during the 1994 RTECS telephone
interviews.

This is the second time that all RECS data have been made available for all RTECS
sampled households.

NOTE: When tabulating RECS household variables using the RTECS public use files,
differences from the published RECS tabulations will occur because the RTECS households
are a subsample of the RECS households. Anyone whose primary interest is the RECS
household data, should use the 1993 RECS Public Use Data.

The RTECS was designed by the Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration
(EIA) to provide information on the use of energy by residential vehicles in the United
States and the District of Columbia. Included are data about: the number and type of
vehicles in the residential sector, the characteristics of those vehicles, the total
annual Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT), the per household and per vehicle VMT, the vehicle
fuel consumption and expenditures, and vehicle fuel efficiencies.

Vehicle characteristic information for each vehicle was collected directly from the
respondent and also from the decoded Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). Vehicle fuel
efficiencies, provided in miles per gallon (MPG), and vehicle fuel consumption and
expenditures were estimated using outside data sources, as they were in 1988 and 1991, in
contrast to previous RTECS, where such information could be derived from fuel purchase
information collected for sample vehicles.

The 1994 RTECS was the fifth RTECS covering a calendar year. Previous RTECS were
conducted monthly from June 1979 to September 1981 and annual data were collected in 1983,
1985, 1988, 1991 and 1994. At this time, only the 1988, 1991, and 1994 RTECS data and the
1987 and 1990, and 1993 RECS data are available on diskettes. The 1987, 1990, and 1993
RECS and the 1991 and 1994 RTECS are available via the Internet at
ftp://ftp.eia.doe.gov/pub/consumption/.

The documentation refers to the public use files as "on diskette number 1"
etc. This documentation is to be used with both versions of the micro-data: diskettes and
Internet.

Included on the RTECS public use files are: the number and type of household vehicles,
characteristics of those vehicles such as engine size and transmission type, the per
household and per vehicle VMT, motor vehicle fuel consumption and expenditures, and
vehicle fuel efficiencies. Household characteristics and energy consumption and
expenditure data items from the 1993 RECS have been merged with the 1994 RTECS
vehicle-related data. Consequently, for households that participated in both the 1993 RECS
and the 1994 RTECS, data are available on energy used within the home as well as energy
used in personal vehicles. Note, however, when combining these data, the time periods of
consumption are different. Household energy consumption is for calendar 1993 and the
transportation energy data are for 1994. In comparing tabulations of similar data items
from the RECS and RTECS survey data files, keep in mind that small differences may also
occur because the RTECS households are a subsample of the RECS households.

The 1994 public use data excludes Alaska and Hawaii; therefore, **RTECS data from
the public use file will not agree with published data** from the companion report
listed below. Alaska and Hawaii were included in the 1991 public use data.

Published data for the 1994 RTECS primarily contain households possessing vehicles at
any time during the year. Selecting on the variable VSMAX not = 0 will yield data for
households with vehicles.Return to Table  of ContentsReturn to
Table of Contentsdivider line**1994 RTECS Published Report**

Results of the RTECS will be reported by the Office of Energy Markets and End Use in a
publication titled: *Household Vehicles Energy Consumption 1994*, July 1997.

Note: The title for this report was shortened in 1988. Previous survey editions
included the name of the survey in the title, e.g., *Residential Transportation Energy
Consumption Survey: Consumption Patterns of Household Vehicles (data year).*

*Household Vehicles Energy Consumption 1994* should be obtained by persons using
the public use data . In addition to providing summary statistics of the data, the report
provides detailed information concerning the survey sample, the survey procedures, the
survey forms, the treatment of missing data, the procedures used to estimate fuel
consumption and expenditures, and the estimation of sampling error. Also included are
detailed discussions of specific data items. Special topics include: Vehicle Miles
Traveled, Trends in Household Vehicle Stock, and Vehicle Fuel Efficiency.Return to Table  of ContentsReturn to
Table of Contentsdivider line**How to Obtain EIA Products and
Services**

For further information on any of the following services, or for answers to energy
information questions, please contact:National Energy Information Center (NEIC) 
Energy Information Administration 
Forrestal Building, Room 1F-048 
Washington, DC 20585 
E-mail:infoctr@eia.doe.gov
(202) 586-8800
(202) 586-0727 (fax)
TTY: (202) 586-1181

**Electronic Products and Services**

EIA's Internet Site Services****offer nearly all EIA publications. Users
can view and download selected pages or entire reports, search for information, download
EIA data and analysis applications, and find out about new EIA information products and
services.

World Wide Web: http://www.eia.gov

EIA also offers a listserve service 
for EIA press releases and other short documents. Sign up on the EIA's Web site.

EIA's****CD-ROM,*Energy
InfoDisc,*contains most EIA publications, several databases, and an energy
forecasting model. The Energy InfoDisc, produced quarterly, is available for a fee from STAT-USA, Department of Commerce, 1-800-STAT-USA.

The****Comprehensive Oil and Gas Information Source (COGIS), a bulletin
board service, contains data files from most of EIA's oil- and gas-related reports. It is
available for a fee from STAT-USA, on
1-800-STAT-USA.

EIA's****Electronic Publishing System (EPUB) bulletin board contains data
files, directories, and forecasts from most EIA reports. It can be accessed free of charge
by dialing (202) 586-2557.

Many of EIA's****data files and modeling programs are available for sale
on diskette, tape, or cartridge, through either the National Technical Information Service
or the Office of Scientific and Technical Information, Department of Energy. Contact NEIC for information on specific products, sources,
and media, and ordering instructions. Return to Table  of ContentsReturn to
Table of Contentsdivider line**Printed Publications**

EIA directories are available free of charge from NEIC. Recent periodicals and one-time
reports are available from the Government Printing Office. Older reports are available
from the National Technical Information Service:

Superintendent of Documents 
U.S. Government Printing Office
P.O. Box 371954
Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954
(202) 512-1800; (202)-512-2250 (fax)

National Technical Information Service
U.S. Department of Commerce
Springfield, VA 22161
5285 Port Royal Road
(703) 487-4650; (703) 321-8547 (fax)

Complimentary subscriptions and single issues are available to certain groups of
subscribers, such as public and academic libraries, Federal, State, and local and foreign
governments, EIA survey respondents, and the media. For further information and for
answers to questions on energy statistics, please contact EIA's National Energy
Information Center.

National Energy Information Center, EI-231 
Energy Information Administration 
Forrestal Building, Room 1F-048 
1000 Independence Avenue, S.W. 
Washington, DC 20585 
(202) 586-8800

Telecommunications Device for the Hearing
Impaired Only: (202) 586-1181
9 a.m. to 5 p.m., eastern time, M-F
FAX: (202) 586-0114

Public Use Data Tapes (9 track magnetic) for RTECS surveys prior to 1991 are available
from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS).

National Technical Information Service
Computer Products Division 
5285 Port Royal Road, 
Springfield, VA 22161 
(703) 487-4808 
Fax: (703) 321-8547

Public Use Diskettes for EIA's Consumption Surveys are available from:

Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI)
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
(615) 576-8401

Note: Data for the RTECS and RECS are combined on one public use tape for the 1988
RTECS and earlier. RECS data for 1987, 1990, and 1993 and RTECS data for 1988, 1991, and
1994 are available on diskettes and via Internet.Return to Table  of ContentsReturn to
Table of Contentsdivider line**Decompressing the Data Files**

The public use files contain the 1994 RTECS basic data concerning personal vehicles as
well as data from the corresponding 1993 RECS households. The RTECS sample consisted of
3,020 housing units selected from the 7,000 available 1993 RECS housing units for which
data were successfully collected. The 1993 RECS represented households in the 50 States
and the District of Columbia.

Because data for Alaska and Hawaii were removed from the public use files in order to
protect the identity of the survey respondents, each of the 38 files contains 3,002
records. These households are weighted to represent 96.8 million households (84.4 million
have vehicles), as of July 1994, the midpoint of data collection activity. The 1994 RTECS
found nearly 157 million vehicles in use in the residential households in the United
States.

The smallest unit of sampling and estimation is the housing unit. Vehicles can be used
as a unit of analysis because data have been collected for all vehicles in sampled
households, thus providing housing-unit-based national representation of the residential
vehicle stock. The finest geographic identification available are the nine Census
divisions. These households are weighted to represent 97.3 million households (96.8 with
Alaska and Hawaii removed) as of July 1994. There are 84.9 million households (84.4 with
Alaska and Hawaii removed) with residential vehicles. The 1994 RTECS found nearly 157
million vehicles in use in the residential households in the United States.

Each public use record contains between 56 and 226 characters (bytes) in length and is
uniquely identified by Household ID (HHID), Weight (WEIGHTJ), Region (REGIONC) and
Division (DIVISION). For total number of households, "WEIGHTJ" or "WEIGHTJ
* VARIABLE" should be summed for a particular occurrence. For households that have
vehicles, also use the filter "when VSMAX not = '00'".

When using relational databases, HHID is the variable upon which to index and relate.

Fields are 9-filled when not applicable; e.g., for households with one vehicle, the
fields for the remaining 7 vehicles are 9-filled. They are not left blank.

RTECS data from these Public Use Files will not agree with RTECS published data from
the companion report, *Households Vehicles Energy Consumption 1994*. Alaska and
Hawaii were removed in order to maintain the survey respondents' confidentiality.

Additional information to further understand and fully utilize the public use diskette
data, can be found in the appendices of *Households Vehicles Energy Consumption 1994*.

Two versions of the RTECS public use diskettes are available:
ASCII files delimited with blanks and dBase III files. All files are self-expanding files
and were compressed using PKZIP. After downloading either the ASCII or dBase set, place
the downloaded file in a separate directory and expand it using pkunzip.

If you don't have pkunzip.exe, you can download it here.
PKUNZIP.EXE is in PKZ204g.exe. PKUNZIP.EXE is the only file you need, but the developers
of the product have asked that the entire package be distributed and not the individual
files. You can however find pkunzip.exe on several other Internet sites. Download
PKZ204g.exe to a separate directory, type PKZ204g at the DOS prompt and press ENTER or
double-click the file PKZ204g.EXE. Several files will be created.

Copy PKUNZIP.EXE to the directory where your RTECS public use file resides.divider line
If you downloaded the ASCII file,(RT94ASC.ZIP)
File size 3.6 MB 
Type PKUNZIP RT94ASC.ZIP in DOS from the download directory.

`or`

If your Windows is set up to automatically use PKUNZIP when clicking any file with the
ZIP extension, just double-click RT94ASC.ZIP. The following files will be created:

`ASCII1.EXE
ASCII2.EXE
ASCII3.EXE`

divider line
If you downloaded the dBase file,(RT94DBF.ZIP)
File size 3.4 MB 
Type PKUNZIP RT94DBF.ZIP in DOS from the download directory.

`or`

If your Windows is set up to automatically use PKUNZIP when clicking any file with the
ZIP extension, just double-click RT94ASC.ZIP. The following files will be created:

`DBF1.EXE
DBF2.EXE
DBF3.EXE`

divider  line**IMPORTANT**: Please read the documentation first. You may not need all of
the files expanded.

Proceed to expand the remaining three self-expanding files by typing ASCII1, ASCII2,
etc. at the DOS prompt or by double-clicking each .EXE file. Two readme text files and
several .EXE files will be created. Read the two readme files, read1st.txt and readme.txt.
Readme.txt contains all necessary documentation to use the public use data files. NOTE:
The documentation refers to the data as though it were on floppy diskettes. Documentation
for the 1994 RTECS Public Use Data can be found on-line at
http://www.eia.gov/emeu/rtecs/userguid.html.

All documentation other than this User's Guide (README.txt), is compressed. Exhibit 3
shows the number of fields and bytes per file. The files contain the following:

READ1st.txt - Instructions on how to print this user's guide
README.txt - This user's guide
APPEND?.EXE - Copies of the User Guide Appendices, where ? is the appendix letter A
through K
.EXE data files - They will expand as either .ASC or .DBF. Exhibit 1, below, contains the
38 logical file names and contents. See Exhibit 2 for a listing of filenames.divider line
This User's Guide, along with the self-expanding appendices, contains all necessary
documentation to use the public use data files.

The documentation and data files are self-expanding files. By typing the file name
(example: APPLIANC) at the DOS prompt from the directory where the file is located or by
double clicking on the file name (applianc.exe) from Program Manager, Explore or My
Computer, the applianc file will expand and you will have created either applianc.asc or
applianc.dbf depending on whether you are working with the ASCII or dBase files.

Check the number of bytes against those in Exhibit 3, "Number of Fields and Bytes
per File" and if they agree you may delete the associated .EXE file (applianc.exe). Return to Table  of ContentsReturn to
Table of Contentsdivider line**Exhibit 1. Logical File Groupings**
The RTECS and RECS data are grouped into 38 logical files:

`FILENAME       DATA INCLUDED ON FILE
______________________________________________________________
APPLIANC     Presence of Appliances
BEHAPERC     Behavior and Perception Variables
CONEL        Consumption for Electricity
CONNGLP      Consumption for Natural Gas and LPG
CONOTHER     Consumption for Other Fuels
CONSERVE     Conservation Variables
DEMOGRAP     Household Demographics
ENERGY       Energy Fuel-related Variables
EPROGRAMH    Energy Programs and Assistance 
EPROGRAMS    Energy Programs and Assistance 
EQUIP        Equipment Variables
EXPEL        Expenditures for Electricity
EXPNGLP      Expenditures for Natural Gas and LPG
EXPOTHER     Expenditures for Other Fuels
FUELTYPE     Type of Vehicle Fuel Used
HOUSEHLD     Demographics Plus Transportation Methods
IMPUTAT1     Imputation Information - Part 1
IMPUTAT2     Imputation Information - Part 2
MEASURE      Floorspace Measurement Variables
MILES        Miles Information
MISCELLA     Miscellaneous Variables not Elsewhere Classified 
STOCK1       Vehicle Stock Information
STOCK2       Vehicle Stock Information
STRUCTUR     Structural Characteristics of the Dwelling
VECONEXP     Vehicle Consumption and Expenditures
VEH1         Vehicle Characteristics - Part 1
VEH2         Vehicle Characteristics - Part 2
VEH3         Vehicle Characteristics - Part 3
VEH4         Vehicle Characteristics - Part 4
VEH5         Vehicle Characteristics - Part 5
VEH6         Vehicle Characteristics - Part 6
VEH7         Vehicle Characteristics - Part 7
VEH8         Vehicle Characteristics - Part 8
VEH9         Vehicle Characteristics - Part 9
VEH10        Vehicle Characteristics - Part 10
VEH11        Vehicle Characteristics - Part 11
VEH12        Vehicle Characteristics - Part 12
VEH13        Vehicle Characteristics - Part 13`

Appendix B on the diskettes shows the variables included in each file.Return to Table  of ContentsReturn to
Table of Contentsdivider line**Exhibit 2. Diskette Contents (File Names)
ASCII and dBase versions**

`DISK1             DISK2            DISK3 

READ1st.TXT     EPROGRAMH.EXE      VECONEXP.EXE
README.TXT      EPROGRAMS.EXE      VEH1.EXE
APPENDA.EXE     EQUIP.EXE          VEH2.EXE
APPENDB.EXE     EXPEL.EXE          VEH3.EXE
APPENDC.EXE     EXPNGLP.EXE        VEH4.EXE
APPENDD.EXE     EXPOTHER.EXE       VEH5.EXE
APPENDE.EXE     FUELTYPE.EXE       VEH6.EXE
APPENDF.EXE     HOUSEHLD.EXE       VEH7.EXE
APPENDG.EXE     IMPUTAT1.EXE       VEH8.EXE
APPENDH.EXE     IMPUTAT2.EXE       VEH9.EXE
APPENDI.EXE     MEASURE.EXE        VEH10.EXE
APPENDJ.EXE     MILES.EXE          VEH11.EXE
APPENDK.EXE     MISCELLA.EXE       VEH12.EXE
APPLIANC.EXE    STOCK1.EXE         VEH13.EXE
BEHAPERC.EXE    STOCK2.EXE
CONEL.EXE       STRUCTUR.EXE
CONNGLP.EXE
CONOTHER.EXE
CONSERVE.EXE       
DEMOGRAP.EXE
ENERGY.EXE`

Return to Table  of ContentsReturn to Table of
Contentsdivider line**Exhibit 3. Number of
Fields and Bytes per File**

`_________________________________________________________________ 
     
                      FILE EXTENSIONS  
_________________________________________________________________

                         #  BYTES                   

                    ASCII Files    dBase Files
FILE NAME   FIELDS/LRECL      .ASC      .EXE      .DBF      .EXE 


APPLIANC       82 - 100       546364     96869    302858     85222
BEHAPERC       66 -  82       447298     85999    248310     75730
CONEL          37 - 144       543362    167775    433506    158480
CONNGLP        39 - 146       555370    121945    439574    112602
CONOTHER       53 - 158       633422     75919    476046     71728
CONSERVE       43 -  56       411274     70618    169522     61188
DEMOGRAP      102 - 146       744496    105952    441590     92352
ENERGY         92 - 142       702468     66091    429262     59796
EPROGRMH       72 - 89        483322     69190    269516     62125
EPROGRMS       80 - 92        516344     57220    278778     49948
EQUIP          57 - 85        426284     67645    257028     60981
EXPEL          44 - 121       495330    134879    364684    123709
EXPNGLP        43 - 113       735490    108836    340636     92314
EXPOTHER       40 - 105       735490     85196    316524     71966
FUELTYPE       38 -  66       312208     53302    199382     48763
HOUSEHLD       50 - 106       468312    131682    319846    119566
IMPUTAT1      110 - 130       720480     65990    393814     59530
IMPUTAT2       75 - 102       531354     62309    308638     56076
MEASURE        89 - 142       693462     82678    429166     74341
MILES          46 - 154       600400    113852    463814    105758
MISCELLA       66 -  93       477318     71288    281332     65173
STOCK1         42 - 167       630420    101273    502712     94900
STOCK2         50 - 111       483322     66465    334856     60617 
STRUCTUR       51 - 95        438292     96558    286856     87201
VECONEXP       48 - 206       762508    128398    619982    121794
VEH1           62 - 122       552368     88387    368262     79859
VEH2           78 - 154       696464     97613    464838     86475
VEH3           30 - 210       720480     69723    631414     66289
VEH4           22 - 226       744496     75345    679190     71907
VEH5           86 - 162       744496     95818    489110     84029
VEH6           38 - 74        480320     62290    223398     55283
VEH7           41 - 72        339226     64602    217490     59468
VEH8           62 - 194       768512     88079    584406     81753
VEH9           54 - 170       672448     77668    512102     71609
VEH10          46 - 162       624416     53377    487830     49810
VEH11          70 - 186       768512     80407    560646     71994 
VEH12          62 - 178       720480     68456    536374     63185
VEH13          62 - 98        483322     57499    296214     52514`

.ASC = ASCII
.DBF = dBase III file 
.EXE = executable self-decompressing fileReturn to Table  of ContentsReturn to
Table of Contentsdivider line**Documentation Appendices** 
Appendix A of this documentation contains information on cautions that should be exercised
when using the public use diskettes.
Appendix C shows the number of fields and bytes per file.
Appendix D shows which variables were used to compute stubs and headings and how data were
computed for the detailed tables in the published reports.
Appendices B and E provide complete variable documentation for the RTECS public use data.
Appendix B shows the logical files and their associated variables while Appendix E
contains the variable names and their definitions. Use Appendix B as a cross reference to
locate the variable in Appendix E (by the position number). The documentation is in Table
Producing Language (TPL) codebook format. (TPL is a table generating software system
produced by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor.) The
documentation shows:



Appendix G is an index to the data items.
Appendix H contains information showing which 1994 variables were the same as the 1991
variables, which ones were different, and which ones were new to 1994.
Appendix I is a list of the frequencies for the control variables.
Appendix J of this documentation contains information showing the correct use of the
household weight.
Appendix K shows the vehicle numbering scheme.
NOTE: There is no longitudinal component for the 1994 RTECS. The questions asked in the
1994 RTECS will appear on EIA's Internet site in July 1997. Return to Table  of ContentsReturn to
Table of Contentsdivider line**Printing the Documentation**
(User's Guide and Appendices)

README.TXT - To print out this User's Guide from the directory where you have stored
the files, issue the following from the command prompt: TYPE README.TXT > prn or open
the file using a text editor or word processor and print from there (courier 12pt works
well). You can also print directly from here using your browser. If printing from a local
drive, in DOS, you get the message "- error writing file, or disk full (F)",
ignore it.

APPENDICES - The appendices are self-decompressing files. By typing the file name at
the DOS prompt from the directory where the files are located (example - appenda) or by
double clicking on the appendix file name (appenda.exe) from Program Manager, Explore, or
My Computer, the appenda.exe file will decompress (expand) and you will have created
appenda.asc.

To print out the appendix, from the directory where you created the .ASC file, issue
the following from the command prompt: TYPE applianc.asc > prn or open the file using a
text editor or word processor and print from there. You may delete the .EXE file. Return to Table  of ContentsReturn to
Table of Contentsdivider line**Changes from Previous Versions of RTECS
Public Use Data**

Users of previous RTECS public use magnetic tapes should be aware of the following
changes included in the 1988, 1991, and 1994 RTECS public use data.

The 1988 RTECS marked a major change in the survey design and the data collection
procedures made, in large part, due to budget constraints. The major change focused on the
way the fuel efficiencies were estimated. Prior to 1988, RTECS collected data used in
calculating fuel efficiencies through monthly fuel purchase diaries maintained by
respondents. In 1988, 1991 and 1994, MPG and fuel price data were estimated by different
means than were used in 1985. In 1988, 1991 and 1994, MPG were estimated using adjusted
test laboratory MPG as recorded on the EPA Emissions Certification files. Fuel price data
were obtained from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) gasoline pump price series and the
Lundberg Survey, Inc., price series. (See Appendix B of the Internet report,
"Estimation Methodologies" for a detailed discussion of the estimation
procedures used.)

It is not anticipated that the change in methodology will result in increased error;
although the errors will come from different sources than in previous RTECS. However, any
comparison of vehicle fuel efficiency or consumption and expenditures with RTECS prior to
1988 should still be viewed with caution.

Other significant changes in the 1994 RTECS design and data collection included the
following:

- The sample size of 3,020 for the 1994 RTECS was similar to the 1991 and 1988 RTECS
    (1991: 3,045 households, and 1988: 2,986 households).
- The number of contacts with respondents required to collect the data for the end of year
    data collection in 1994 was 6 per household, compared with 10 contacts in the 1991 RTECS.
- In 1988, "02" was a valid "TYPE" code for a "two-seater
    vehicle" and was reported as a separate category from "Sedan". In 1991 and
    1994, "02" was dropped and the "two-seater vehicle" was included with
    "Sedan".
- In 1991 and 1994, the separate fuel type category "Gasohol" (or Ethanol Blend)
    was added. In 1988, there were only "Gasoline", "Diesel", and
    "Other".
- In 1988, "Engine Size" was collected in liters or cubic inches and was
    reported in liters in the report. The 1988 public use data also had both liters and cubic
    inches. In 1991 and 1994, even though "Engine Size" was collected in liters or
    cubic inches, only cubic inches were put on the data file. The published report still
    showed "Engine Size" in liters. The cubic inches were converted to liters in the
    TPL programming by multiplying cubic inches by .016387.
- For the first time in 1988, respondents were asked to provide the Vehicle Identification
    Number (VIN) for each vehicle. This was continued in 1991 and 1994. The decoded VIN was
    used to enhance the accuracy of reported vehicle characteristics. These characteristics
    were used to match sampled vehicles to the EPA Certification files. (See "The Vehicle
    Identification Number" section in Appendix A of the 1994 RTECS Internet report for a
    detailed discussion of the VIN).
- Households in the 1988, 1991 and 1994 RTECS did not receive a monetary incentive to
    participate, as they did in the 1985 RTECS.
- In the 1988 survey, the variable "JOBUSE" was coded "1" if the
    vehicle was used on the job, other than commuting, by anyone in the household. In the 1991
    survey, the variable was coded "1" only if the vehicle was used for commuting.
    In 1994, FCOMUT was coded "1" if the vehicle was used for commuting.

Appendix A of the Internet-published report provides a more complete comparison of the
major differences between the 1994 RTECS and the 1991 RTECS.

Note: Tabulations of 1994 RTECS weighted households from the public use data do not
match tabulations from the published 1994 RTECS report due to the removal of households in
Alaska and Hawaii. Return to Table  of ContentsReturn to
Table of Contentsdivider line**Confidentiality Provisions**

Names and addresses of respondents are not provided to the EIA in order to maintain the
survey respondents' confidentiality and therefore are not provided on the public use
files. To further prevent the possible identification of individual survey households,
some changes were made to the original data before creating the public use data.
Potentially identifying geographic variables, such as sampling unit location variables and
weather-related variables, were removed from the data files. The VIN (Vehicle
Identification Number) collected from the respondent is 17 characters in length. The last
6 characters are those that uniquely identify a vehicle. Consequently, the last 6
characters on the diskettes were zero filled and only the first 11 characters of the VIN
on the public use diskettes are shown. Data for Alaska and Hawaii were removed. Return to Table  of ContentsReturn to
Table of Contentsdivider line**Contacts**

The 1994 RTECS Report was prepared by the Energy Information Administration, 
  Office of Energy Markets and End Use. General or specific information may be 
  obtained from Dwight K. French, Chief of the Transportation 
  and Industrial Branch (202-586-1114). The RTECS Survey Manager and principal 
  author for this report was Ivy Harrison. She has since left the agency.  Robert Latta(202-586-1385) may be contacted 
  for information related to the sample design and the estimation procedures for 
  vehicle fuel consumption and expenditures, and fuel efficiencies. Contact Mark Schipper (202-586-1136) for information 
  about imputation procedures.

For information relating to vehicle fuel prices, contact Mark Schipper (202-586-1136). Questions 
  concerning use of the public use data may be referred to Mark 
  Schipper (202-586-1136).divider line
 EIA Energy InfoDisc EIA Introduces Energy InfoDisc; New CD-ROM
Provides Instant Access To Comprehensive Energy Data, Analyses divider line

File Last Modified: 05/13/1997

For subject matter content, contact:mark.schipper@eia.doe.gov

Mark Schipper
Survey Manager
  Phone: (202) 586-1136
Fax: (202) 586-0018

URL: http://www.eia.gov/emeu/rtecs/userguid.html

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