A recent Federal Trade Commission (FTC) amendment will lead to very few changes to current labeling requirements for residential central air conditioners and heat pumps.

The FTC last spring issued a proposed rule to amend the existing labeling requirements for residential central air conditioners and heat pumps.

The proposed rule was in response to section 137 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which directed the FTC to assess the effectiveness of the appliance-labeling program.

The FTC took most ARI requests into consideration when amending the rule on Aug. 29, 2007. The most significant change, which goes into effect on Feb. 29, 2008, is the new label design.

The FTC also opted to:

  • Retain existing labeling requirements. The EnergyGuide label will continue to be required, albeit with a new look. Section 305.12 of 16 CFR Part 305 describes the new requirements. Templates for the new labels can be downloaded from the FTC website.

  • Continue to require ranges of comparability.

  • Not require the disclosure of operating cost on labels or fact sheets.

  • Allow manufacturers to use a variety of means, such as fact sheets, directories and Internet-based data, to provide consumers with access to required energy information about their products.