Rule Concerning Disclosures Regarding Energy Consumption and Water Use of Certain Home Appliances and Other Products Required Under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (``Appliance Labeling Rule'')

The Federal Trade Commission (``Commission'') amends its Appliance Labeling Rule by publishing new ranges of comparability to be used on required labels for refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, and freezers. The Commission also announces that the ranges of comparability for central air conditioners and heat pumps, which were published on September 16, 1996 (61 FR 48620), will remain in effect until further notice. Finally, the Commission is amending the portions of Appendices H (Cooling Performance and Cost for Central Air Conditioners) and I (Heating Performance and Cost for Central Air Conditioners) to Part 305 that contain cost calculation formulas. These amendments change the figures in the formulas to reflect the current Representative Average Unit Cost of Electricity that was published on December 8, 1997 (62 FR 64574), by the Department of Energy (``DOE'').