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Rulemaking for Residential Furnaces and Boilers Test Procedure

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The Department of Energy (DOE) is initiating a rulemaking and data collection process to consider amendments to DOE's test procedure for residential furnaces and boilers. Because DOE has recently completed a test procedure rulemaking for the standby mode and off mode energy consumption of these products, the primary focus of this rulemaking will be on active mode operation. This rulemaking is intended to fulfill DOE's statutory obligation to review its test procedures for covered products at least once every seven years.

Recent Updates

DOE has published a Federal Register notice of final rule pertaining to test procedures for consumer furnaces and boilers. 81 FR 2628 (January 15, 2016).

Public Meeting Information

There is no public meeting scheduled at this time.

Submitting Public Comments

The comment period is closed.

Interested parties are encouraged to submit comments using the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov. Alternatively, interested parties may submit comments, by any of the following methods:

1. E-mail: ResFurnBoilers2013TP0008@ee.doe.gov Include the docket number EERE-2012-BT-TP-0024 and/or RIN 1904-AC79 in the subject line of the message. Submit electronic comments in WordPerfect, Microsoft Word, PDF, or ASCII file format, and avoid the use of special characters or any form of encryption.

2. Postal Mail: Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department of Energy, Building Technologies Office, Mailstop EE-5B, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC, 20585-0121. If possible, please submit all items on a compact disc (CD), in which case it is not necessary to include printed copies.

3. Hand Delivery/Courier: Ms. Brenda Edwards, U.S. Department of Energy, Building Technologies Office, 950 L’Enfant Plaza, SW., Suite 600, Washington, DC, 20024. Telephone: (202) 586-2945. If possible, please submit all items on a CD, in which case it is not necessary to include printed copies.

Milestones and Documents

The residential furnaces and boilers test procedures rulemaking docket EERE-2012-BT-TP-0024 contains all notices, public comments, public meeting transcripts, and supporting documents. For the latest information on the planned timing of future DOE regulatory milestones, see the current Office of Management and Budget Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions. All planned dates are preliminary and subject to change.

Request For Information	Request for Information, Federal Register, 78 FR 675 (January 4, 2013) Comment deadline: Closed
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking	Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Federal Register, 80 FR 12876 (March 11, 2015) Public Meeting: 03/26/15 Comment Deadline Reopened Until : 07/10/15 Notice to Reopen the Comment Period, Federal Register 80 FR 31324 (June 2, 2015)
Final Rule	Final Rule, Federal Register, 81 FR 2628, (January 15, 2016)
Compliance	The effective date of this rule is February 16, 2016. The final rule changes will be mandatory for representations made on or after July 13, 2016.

Related Rulemakings

DOE published a final rule for test procedures for residential furnaces and boilers (standby and off mode). 77 FR 76831 (December 31, 2012).

Statutory Authority

The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007) amended EPCA to require that at least once every seven years, DOE must review test procedures for all covered products and either amend the test procedures (if the Secretary determines that amended test procedures would more accurately or fully comply with the requirements of 42 U.S.C. 6293(b)(3)) or publish notice in the Federal Register of any determination not to amend a test procedure. (42 U.S.C. 6293(b)(1)(A)) Under this requirement, DOE must review the test procedures for the various types of residential furnace and boiler products not later than December 19, 2014 (i.e., 7 years after the enactment of EISA 2007).

In addition to the test procedure review provision discussed above, EISA 2007 also amended EPCA to require DOE to amend its test procedures for all covered products to include measurement of standby mode and off mode energy consumption. (42 U.S.C. 6295(gg)(2)(A)).

Contact Information

For more information related to this rulemaking, please email:

residential_furnaces_and_boilers@ee.doe.gov