Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2004/09/09/04-20404/rule-concerning-disclosures-regarding-energy-consumption-and-water-use-of-certain-home-appliances
Timestamp: 2019-10-18 11:07:52
Document Index: 58618073

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 305', 'art 305', 'art 305', 'art 305', 'art 430', 'art 305', 'art 305', 'art 305', 'art 305', 'art 430']

A Rule by the Federal Trade Commission on 09/09/2004
54558-54561 (4 pages)
I. 2004 Dishwasher Ranges
II. 2004 Central Air Conditioner and Heat Pump Information
III. Cost Figures for Central Air Conditioner and Heat Pump Fact Sheets
IV. Minor Correction to Appendix D4 Table
Appendix D4 to Part 305—Water Heaters-Instantaneous-Gas
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/04-20404 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/04-20404
The Federal Trade Commission (“Commission”) amends its Appliance Labeling Rule (“Rule”) by publishing new ranges of comparability to be used on required labels for standard and compact dishwashers. The Commission also announces that the current ranges of comparability for central air conditioners and heat pumps will remain in effect until further notice. The Commission amends the portions of Appendices H (Cooling Performance and Cost for Central Air Conditioners) and I (Heating Performance and Cost for Central Air Conditioners) to reflect the current (2004) Representative Average Unit Cost of Electricity. Finally, the Commission is making a minor correction to the water heater range tables published on July 14, 2004 (69 FR 42107).
Effective Date: The amendments announced in this document will become effective December 8, 2004.
Hampton Newsome, Attorney, Division of Enforcement, Federal Trade Commission, Washington, DC 20580 (202-326-2889).
The Rule was issued by the Commission in 1979, Start Printed Page 5455944 FR 66466 (Nov. 19, 1979), in response to a directive in the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (“EPCA”).[1] The Rule covers several categories of major household appliances including dishwashers and central air conditioners.
Section 305.8(b) of the Rule requires manufacturers, after filing an initial report, to report certain information annually to the Commission by specified dates for each product type.[2] These reports, which are to assist the Commission in preparing the ranges of comparability, contain 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. To keep the required information on labels consistent with these changes, the Commission will publish new ranges 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 will publish a statement that the prior ranges remain in effect for the next year.
The Commission has analyzed the annual data submissions for dishwashers. The data submissions show a significant change in the ranges of comparability for standard and compact models.[3] Accordingly, the Commission is publishing new ranges of comparability for standard and compact dishwashers in Appendices C1 and C2 of the Rule. The new ranges of comparability for dishwashers supersede the current ranges, which were published on August 11, 2003 (68 FR 47449) (standard dishwashers) and July 19, 2002 (67 FR 47443) (compact dishwashers).
Dishwasher manufacturers must base the disclosures of estimated annual operating cost required at the bottom of EnergyGuide labels for dishwashers on the 2004 Representative Average Unit Costs of Energy for electricity (8.60 cents per kiloWatt-hour) and natural gas (91.0 cents per therm) that were published by DOE on January 27, 2004 (69 FR 3907) and by the Commission on April 30, 2004 (69 FR 23651). The new ranges for standard and compact models will become effective December 8, 2004. Manufacturers may begin using the new ranges before that date.
The annual submissions of data for central air conditioners and heat pumps have been made to the Commission. The ranges of comparability for central air conditioners and heat pumps have not changed by more than 15% from the current ranges for these products. Therefore, the current ranges for these products, which were published on September 16, 1996 (61 FR 48620), will remain in effect until further notice.
The Commission is amending the cost calculation formulas in Appendices H and I to Part 305 that manufacturers of central air conditioners and heat pumps must include on fact sheets and in directories to reflect this year's energy costs figures published by DOE. These routine amendments will become effective December 8, 2004.
The Commission is also publishing a minor correction to Appendix D4 (Water Heaters—Instantaneous—Range Information). As part of recent amendments to the water heater ranges (69 FR 42107 (July 14, 2004)), “first hour rating” was inadvertently inserted into Appendix D4 as the applicable capacity descriptor for instantaneous water heaters. The correct descriptor is “Capacity (maximum flow rate); gallons per minute (gpm).”
The amendments published in this notice involve routine, technical and minor, or conforming changes to the labeling requirements in the Rule. These technical amendments merely provide a routine change to the range and cost information required on EnergyGuide labels and fact sheets. Accordingly, the Commission finds for good cause that public comment for these technical, procedural amendments is impractical and unnecessary (5 U.S.C. 553(b)(A)(B) and (d)).
In a June 13, 1988 notice (53 FR 22106), the Commission stated that the Rule contains disclosure and reporting requirements that constitute “information collection requirements” as defined by 5 CFR 1320.7(c), the regulation that implements the Paperwork Reduction Act.[4] The Commission noted that the Rule had been reviewed and approved in 1984 by the Office of Management and Budget Start Printed Page 54560(“OMB”) and assigned OMB Control No. 3084-0068. OMB has reviewed the Rule and extended its approval for its recordkeeping and reporting requirements until September 30, 2004. The amendments now being adopted do not change the substance or frequency of the recordkeeping, disclosure, or reporting requirements and, therefore, do not require further OMB clearance.
2. Appendix C1 to Part 305 is revised to read as follows:
Compact 176 247
When the above ranges of comparability are used on EnergyGuide labels for compact-sized dishwashers, the estimated annual operating cost disclosure appearing in the box at the bottom of the labels must be derived using the 2004 Representative Average Unit Costs for electricity (8.60¢ per kiloWatt-hour) and natural gas (91.0¢ per therm), and the text below the box must identify the costs as such.
3. Appendix C2 to Part 305 is revised to read as follows:
“Standard” includes portable or built-in dishwasher models with a capacity of eight (8) or more place settings. Place settings shall be in accordance with appendix C to 10 CFR part 430, subpart B. Load patterns shall conform to the operating normal for the model being tested.
Standard 194 531
When the above ranges of comparability are used on EnergyGuide labels for standard-sized dishwashers, the estimated annual operating cost disclosure appearing in the box at the bottom of the labels must be derived using the 2004 Representative Average Unit Costs for electricity (8.60¢ per kiloWatt-hour) and natural gas (91.0¢ per therm), and the text below the box must identify the costs as such.
4. The table in Appendix D4 to Part 305 is revised to read as follows:
Range of estimated annual energy consumption (therms/yr. and gallons/ yr.)
Natural gas therms/yr.
Propane gallons/yr.
Under 1.00 235 235 256 256
1.00 to 2.00 230 230 252 252
2.01 to 3.00 185 220 196 239
Over 3.00 177 238 187 260
5. In section 2 of Appendix H of Part 305, the text is amended by removing the figure “8.41¢” wherever it appears and by adding, in its place, the figure “8.60¢”. In addition, the text in this section is amended by removing the figure “12.62¢” wherever it appears and by adding, in its place, the figure “12.90¢”. And the formula is revised to read as follows in both places that it appears:
6. In section 2 of Appendix I of Part 305, the text is amended by removing the figure “8.41¢” wherever it appears and by adding, in its place, the figure “8.60¢”. In addition, the text and formulas are amended by removing the figure “12.62¢” wherever it appears and by adding, in its place, the figure “12.90¢”. And the formula is revised to read as follows in both places that it appears:
Start Printed Page 54561
7. Appendix L is amended by revising Sample Label 4 of Part 305 to read as follows:
2. Reports for dishwashers are due June 1. Reports for central air conditioners and heat pumps are due July 1.
3. The Commission's classification of “Standard” and “Compact” dishwashers is based on internal load capacity. Appendix C of the Commission's Rule defines “Compact” as including countertop dishwasher models with a capacity of fewer than eight (8) place settings and “Standard” as including portable or built-in dishwasher models with a capacity of eight (8) or more place settings. The Rule requires that place settings be determined in accordance with appendix C to 10 CFR Part 430, subpart B, of DOE's energy conservation standards program.
[FR Doc. 04-20404 Filed 9-8-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6750-50-C