[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