[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 224 (Wednesday, November 20, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64056-64058]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-25077]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Energy Information Administration


Agency Information Collection Extension

AGENCY: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), Department of 
Energy (DOE).

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: EIA requests the reinstatement with changes of the Residential 
Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) Forms EIA 457-A, C, D, E, F and G 
under OMB Control Number 1905-0092, as required under the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995. RECS collects data on energy characteristics, 
consumption, and expenditures for the residential sector of the United 
States and is comprised of six forms including: Form EIA 457-A 
Household Survey, Form EIA 457-C Rental Agent Survey, Form EIA 457-D 
Energy Supplier Survey: Household Propane Usage, Form EIA 457-E Energy 
Supplier Survey: Household Electricity Usage, Form EIA 457-F, Energy 
Supplier Survey: Household Natural Gas Usage, Form EIA 457-G Energy 
Supplier Survey: Household Fuel Oil/Kerosene Usage. These forms will be 
used to collect data and produce household energy usage estimates for 
calendar year 2020.

DATES: EIA must receive all comments on this proposed information 
collection no later than January 21, 2020. If you anticipate any 
difficulties in submitting your comments by the deadline, contact the 
person listed in the ADDRESSES section of this notice as soon as 
possible.

ADDRESSES: Send comments by mail to James Berry, RECS Survey Manager, 
EI-22, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, 
Washington, DC 20585. Submit comments electronically by email to 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you need additional information or 
copies of the information collection instrument, send your request to 
James Berry by phone at (202) 586-5543, or by email to 
[email protected]. You can view Forms EIA-457 A, C, D, E, F, and G 
online at: https://www.eia.gov/survey/#eia-457.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This information collection request 
contains:
    (1) OMB No.: 1905-0092;
    (2) Information Collection Request Title: Residential Energy 
Consumption Survey;
    (3) Type of Request: Renewal with changes;
    (4) Purpose: The RECS is a nationwide study of energy use in 
housing units and includes a series of data collections from 
households, rental agents (e.g., apartment managers), and household 
energy suppliers. RECS data include official statistics about the 
energy characteristics, consumption, and expenditures of U.S. homes. 
EIA has conducted the RECS periodically since 1978 and the 2020 RECS 
will be the 15th data collection for the program.
    Form EIA 457-A: Household Survey collects information on the 
presence and characteristics of a wide range of energy consuming 
devices in homes, including heating and cooling equipment, appliances, 
and electronics. The Household Survey also asks respondents about key 
structural features and demographic characteristics that impact energy 
usage. Form EIA 457-C: Rental Agent Survey collects higher quality 
energy characteristics information about which Household Survey 
respondents in rented homes may not be able to answer. This information 
includes the equipment type and fuel for space heating and water 
heating. Forms EIA 457-D, E, F, and G: Energy Supplier Surveys collect 
monthly electricity and natural gas billing data from Household Survey 
respondent energy suppliers (e.g., utilities), and periodic propane and 
fuel oil delivery data from bulk fuel suppliers.
    RECS is integral to EIA's mandate to collect and publish energy 
end-use consumption data. RECS reports and data represent the most 
comprehensive national and sub-national results available on energy 
consumption in homes. RECS is the only national data series that allows 
policy makers and program implementers in both public and private 
organizations to analyze trends in energy consumption for the 
residential sector. RECS fulfills planning, analyses, and decision-
making needs of DOE, other Federal agencies, state governments, 
utilities, researchers, and energy analysts in the private sector.
    (4a) Proposed Changes to Information Collection: EIA will use Web 
and mail questionnaires as the modes of collection for Form EIA 457-A: 
Household Survey. This design feature for the 2020 RECS represents a 
change from prior collection cycles of RECS where computer assisted 
personal interviewing (CAPI) was the primary method for collecting 
household energy characteristics data. In 2014, EIA piloted three tests 
of Web and mail questionnaires to determine the feasibility of using 
these alternative data collection methods. Based on extensive analysis 
of sample representativeness, nonresponse bias, and data quality, EIA 
determined that Web and mail were viable modes for the 2020 and future 
RECS data collections.
    Using Web and mail modes allows EIA to expand the targeted number 
of completed cases for the RECS. EIA anticipates collecting 2020 RECS 
Household Survey responses for approximately 20,000 households. With a 
larger sample, EIA will produce more precise estimates for key energy 
metrics, as well as produce some estimates for all 50 states and the 
District of Columbia.
    EIA proposes to update the Household Survey to collect information 
on emerging technologies, traditional energy-consuming devices, and 
update some questions to improve data quality. EIA is proposing the 
following questionnaire updates based on changes in the residential 
housing market and stakeholder feedback. The new questions that are 
added reflect EIA's effort to collect the most relevant information 
necessary to estimate household energy use and to inform energy end-use 
modeling. The revised questions also improve response quality, minimize 
reporting burden, and reflect changes in technology. Questions were 
removed that had poor response quality from the last collection or 
where data are now available from alternative sources.

Question Additions

     (Your Home section) Add a series of questions to collect 
plug-in, all-electric, hybrid vehicle charging infrastructure and 
charging behavior. Plug-in electric vehicles are an emerging technology 
that can significantly impact a household's electricity consumption. 
These additional questions about charging behavior (e.g., how often and 
where the household charges) and the type of plug being used to charge 
(e.g., Level 1 or Level 2) will improve EIA's analysis of the impact of 
electric vehicle charging on household energy use.
     (Your Home) Add a question to collect major structural 
changes or renovations. EIA's estimates of space heating and air-
conditioning consumption and cost rely heavily on

[[Page 64057]]

RECS conditioned space data and the age of each housing unit. This 
additional question where respondents report significant structural 
changes that expand the size of the home (e.g., rooms added) or alter 
the thermal insulation factors (e.g., replacing old windows) would 
improve estimates for space conditioning end uses.
     (Appliances) Add a question to collect the months a second 
refrigerator is turned on. Some households with multiple refrigerators 
may only use the second refrigerator during certain times of the year. 
Asking respondents to report the number of months this appliance is 
actually in use will improve our estimates of refrigerator consumption.
     (Electronics) Add a question to collect usage of third 
most-used televisions. About 40% of households use three or more 
televisions, however EIA only collected hours of usage for the most-
used and second most-used televisions for the 2015 RECS. Collecting 
information on the third most-used television will improve EIA's 
estimation of total television consumption.
     (Electronics) Add a question to collect video game console 
usage. Video game consoles represent a significant portion of 
``miscellaneous electric load'' consumption if used extensively by a 
household. EIA will add this usage question to differentiate high, 
medium, and low usage households for these devices.
     (Electronics) Add a question to collect use of energy-
intensive medical equipment. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure 
machines (CPAP), dialysis machines, and other medical devices may 
account for a significant portion of ``miscellaneous electric load'' 
consumption if used in a household. EIA will add this question to 
collect the presence of the most common and most energy-intensive 
medical devices in homes.
     (Electronics) Add additional questions to collect smart 
devices in homes. A key topic in household energy use is the 
proliferation of internet-connected or ``smart'' devices in homes 
(e.g., smart speakers, security systems, doorbells, sprinkler systems). 
Understanding the market penetration of these devices, individually and 
collectively, will improve EIA's analysis and consumption estimates of 
household miscellaneous electric loads, or MELs.
     (Space Heating) Add a question to collect heat pump type. 
Heat pump efficiencies vary by type, particularly between air-source 
and geothermal units. Knowing the type of heat pump system will improve 
EIA's estimates of heating load.
     (Space Heating) Add a question to collect backup heat 
source for households using heat pumps as the primary heating 
equipment. Most heat pumps require a backup heating source when the 
outdoor temperature is too cold for the heat pump to work efficiently. 
This additional question, which will determine if the backup source is 
electric-resistance or a natural gas-sourced component, is necessary to 
ensure EIA can attribute the heating load in the home to the correct 
fuel and device type.
     (Space Heating) Add a question to collect extent of 
secondary heating equipment. Household usage of backup or secondary 
heating sources, such as portable heaters and wood stoves, can vary 
significantly. This additional question to collect the relative use of 
these secondary sources is necessary to ensure EIA can attribute the 
heating load in the home to the correct fuel and device type.
     (Air Conditioning) Add a question to collect ceiling fan 
usage. Ceiling fans account for about 2% of household electricity 
consumption. This additional question to collect the relative use of 
ceiling fans is necessary to collect the variability in usage of these 
devices across homes.
     (Water Heating) Add a question to collect heat pump water 
heaters. Heat pump water heaters are an emerging, efficient technology 
in the residential sector. This additional question is necessary to 
measure the number of homes with these devices, and to more accurately 
estimate water heating energy consumption.
     (Energy Assistance) Add a question to collect electricity 
disconnections for any reason, including power outages due to weather. 
The 2015 RECS Household Survey included questions to collect household 
electricity outages due to failure to pay bills, but data users 
expressed a need to collect electricity disconnection for any reason. 
This additional question will improve analysis of the impacts of 
residential energy disruptions.
     (Energy Bills) Add a question to collect data on on-site 
solar generation capacity. The RECS Household Survey currently includes 
a question about the presence of solar panels, but this additional 
question about the system capacity is needed to understand the portion 
of household consumption that is attributable to the on-site 
generation.

Revisions

     (Your Home) Modify the question about vacant periods of 
the sampled housing unit. The follow-up collection of energy bills via 
the Energy Supplier Surveys is a key component of the overall RECS 
program. Capturing information about extended vacant periods will 
explain anomalous bills (e.g., low electricity consumption during the 
summer) or gaps in bills (e.g., no consumption for several months).
     (Your Home) Modify the basement question to add response 
options for homes on concrete slabs or crawl spaces. Prior to the 2015 
RECS, the Household Survey collected information on three primary home 
foundation types. Only basements were collected for the 2015 RECS. 
EIA's estimates of space conditioning loads rely heavily on home 
foundation data, so reinstating additional foundation response options 
will improve space heating and cooling consumption estimates.
     (Appliances) Modify the range question response option for 
``dual fuel''. The prior RECS Household Surveys only allowed for 
reporting of dual fuel ranges (i.e., gas cooktop and electric oven) as 
an ``other/specify'' write-in response. The updated questionnaire will 
contain an explicit ``dual fuel'' response option to collect the 
presence of this type of range.
     (Electronics) Modify the TV type questions to reflect 
current market terminology and trends. The current TV market is almost 
exclusively LED (or OLED) models, with most plasma, older LCD, and CRT 
models no longer available. EIA will update response options to reflect 
this trend in the market.
     (Space Heating and Air Conditioning) Modify the humidifier 
and dehumidifier question response options to collect whether units are 
portable or whole-home units. Humidifier and dehumidifier consumption 
can vary significantly based on whether the device is meant to impact 
all spaces in a home (whole-home) or only sections of the home 
(portable).
     (Lighting) Modify the lighting questions to collect more 
detail about use of each type of light bulb in the house and to improve 
quality of responses. There have been significant shifts in the 
residential lighting market since the 2015 RECS, particular with 
purchases of LED bulbs. The RECS Household Survey lighting section 
needs to be revised to better collect the relative use of LED, as well 
as older CFL, halogen, and incandescent bulbs.
     (Energy Suppliers and Use) Modify the self-reported wood 
supply questions to improve data quality. Unlike propane and fuel oil 
usage data, EIA relies solely on Household Survey respondents to

[[Page 64058]]

report wood usage. Revising existing questions to include question 
aides (e.g., pictures) and better response options to more accurately 
differentiate high, medium, and low wood usage households will improve 
response quality and estimates of household wood usage.
     (Household Characteristics) Modify the income question 
response options to collect more detail. Data users indicate that the 
level of detail for the 2015 RECS income question was not sufficient 
for many analysis needs, especially concerning low-income households. 
EIA will revise the income question to include more income range 
response options.

Deletions

     (Energy Programs) Delete all Energy Star questions. EIA 
comparisons of 2009 and 2015 RECS Energy Star responses with Energy 
Star appliance shipment data show that RECS respondents have difficulty 
identifying whether their appliances are Energy Star certified. These 
data quality issues, as well as data availability via alternative 
sources, warrants removal of these items from the RECS Household 
Survey.
     (Energy Programs) Delete all efficiency program 
participation questions. Data users indicate that the lack of 
specificity associated with respondent reports of energy program 
participation (e.g., light bulb rebate programs) significantly 
decreases the utility of these RECS Household Survey items. Data users 
also are able to access these data from alternative data sources, 
including individual government or utility program offices.
     (Energy Suppliers and Use) Delete the self-reported 
propane and fuel oil supply and cost questions. The RECS Household 
Survey included self-reported propane and fuel oil delivery and cost 
questions in prior survey cycles. This information, however, is no 
longer used extensively as EIA now relies almost exclusively on data 
reported on the Energy Supplier Surveys.
    There are no changes to Forms EIA 457-C, D, E, F, and G.
    (5) Annual Estimated Number of Respondents: 6,115;
    (6) Annual Estimated Number of Total Responses: 6,115;
    (7) Annual Estimated Number of Burden Hours: 2,840;
    (8) Annual Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden: The 
annualized cost of the burden hours is estimated to be $222,961 (2,840 
burden hours times $78.52 per hour). EIA estimates that respondents 
will have no additional costs associated with the surveys other than 
burden hours.
    Comments are invited on whether or not: (a) The proposed collection 
of information is necessary for the proper performance of agency 
functions, including whether the information will have a practical 
utility; (b) EIA's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of 
information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions 
used, is accurate; (c) EIA can improve the quality, utility, and 
clarity of the information it will collect; and (d) EIA can minimize 
the burden of the collection of information on respondents, such as 
automated collection techniques or other forms of information 
technology.

    Statutory Authority:  Section 13(b) of the Federal Energy 
Administration Act of 1974, Pub. L. 93-275, codified as 15 U.S.C. 
772(b) and the DOE Organization Act of 1977, Pub. L. 95-91, codified 
at 42 U.S.C. 7101 et seq.

    Signed in Washington, DC, on November 14, 2019.
Nanda Srinivasan,
Director, Office of Statistical Methods and Research, U.S. Energy 
Information Administration.
[FR Doc. 2019-25077 Filed 11-19-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 6450-01-P