Looking to help consumers and businesses install equipment appropriate for their location under the Department of Energy’s new regional efficiency standards, FTC (News - Alert) is seeking public comment on new energy labeling requirements for residential furnaces, central air conditioners, and heat pumps.
Disclosing the product’s efficiency rating and a comparison of the highest and lowest ratings for all similar models, the FTC’s Appliance Labeling Rule currently requires yellow EnergyGuide labels for heating and cooling equipment.
Offering possible revisions to the current EnergyGuide label, the FTC seeks public comment on how best to develop consumer and industry disclosures regarding the new standards for residential furnaces, central air conditioners, and heat pumps, the company stated in a press release.
Directing the FTC to determine how energy efficiency information should be communicated to consumers, such as through labeling, the new DOE standards are mandated by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (as amended by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007).
The new efficiency standards for certain products vary by region, unlike existing DOE standards, which impose uniform, national efficiency levels for heating and cooling equipment.
The FTC has stated that The Commission vote approving the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking was 5-0. To be published in the Federal Register soon, it is available on the FTC’s website and as a link to this press release. Instructions for filing comments appear in the Federal Register Notice.
Looking to provide information to help spot, stop, and avoid them, the Federal Trade Commission works for consumers to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices.
Recently, the FTC levied about $4 million in fines on two private debt collection companies working for the U.S. Education Department in the past year. The two companies were accused them of using abusive language with consumers, making illegal threats and committing other violation.
The first penalty was levied on West Asset Management Inc., which agreed in March to pay $2.8 million in fines – the largest single penalty ever obtained in a data collection case.
Raju Shanbhag is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Raju’s articles, please visit his columnist page.Edited by
Jennifer Russell
