Electric and gas ranges (cooking products)

November 2024

Technical bulletin on amending the standards

In April 2024, the Office of Energy Efficiency at Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) updated its Forward Regulatory Plan which identifies its intention to amend Canada’s Energy Efficiency Regulations (the Regulations) to harmonize the scope and the energy efficiency and testing standards for electric and gas ranges with those of the United States for conventional cooking products.

NRCan is considering consolidating the energy-using product names for electric and gas ranges under cooking products to better harmonize with the United States.

NRCan is also considering removing current energy efficiency standards for electric coil cooktops and for electric oven on-mode to harmonize with the United States. A new prescriptive standard would be adopted for ovens to also harmonize with the United States. This approach would have negligible energy implications, while facilitating trade and improving the availability and variety of efficient products for Canadians.

In addition, the energy efficiency standard for gas cooktops would be updated to harmonize with the United States, introducing an annual energy consumption requirement that would replace the current prescriptive requirement of no standing pilot.

This technical bulletin has been released to initiate the consultation process and to collect stakeholder views on the requirements being considered for household cooking products.

Input received during this stage of the process will inform the development of the next amendments considered. In addition, NRCan will undertake a cost-benefit analysis using the best-available Canadian market data to assess the economic and environmental impacts of these updated standards and to ensure Canadian consumers and businesses benefit from their implementation.

The Government of Canada intends to pre-publish a regulatory proposal in the Canada Gazette, Part I, in 2025.

Background

In Canada, household electric and gas ranges manufactured as of February 3, 1995, are subject to the Regulations. Induction cooking products are not currently regulated.

Household cooking products use a significant portion of total residential building energy consumption. The energy efficiency standards for cooking products save energy and reduce energy costs for Canadians. Energy efficiency standards also reduce energy-related greenhouse gas emissions and help encourage manufacturers to adopt efficient product designs.

In 2021, NRCan and the United States Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) signed the Memorandum of Understanding Between the Department of Natural Resources of Canada and the Department of Energy of the United States of America Concerning Cooperation on Energy which acknowledges that both countries will collaborate on new and updated energy efficiency and testing standards where feasible and appropriate.

On February 14, 2024, the U.S. DOE published a Direct Final Rule, entitled Energy Conservation Standards for Consumer Conventional Cooking Products, that strengthened the energy efficiency standards for gas, induction and electric resistance cooktops other than electric coil cooktops. Compliance with the standards in the direct final rule is required on or after January 31, 2028.

On August 8, 2022, the U.S. DOE published a Final Rule for the testing standard of cooking products. An updated testing standard with corrections was published on February 7, 2023. In the United States, the use of this testing standard is mandatory since February 20, 2023, for representations of energy use or energy efficiency of a cooking product.

NRCan is considering amending the Regulations to harmonize with the energy efficiency standards, scope, testing standard and compliance dates of the U.S. DOE for cooking products.

On January 12, 2023, the U.S. DOE received a petition from the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers to consider amendments to the cooking products testing standard. NRCan intends to harmonize with the U.S. DOE and with its amendments from time to time.

The Government of Canada is committed to improving energy efficiency standards for consumer, commercial and industrial products to reduce energy consumption and support the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.

Product description

Household electric and gas ranges are currently defined separately in subdivisions G and H of Division 1 to the Regulations.

An electric range means a household electric range. It does not include a portable range that is designed for an electrical supply of 120 V or a microwave oven.

A gas range means a household propane or natural gas range that has an electrical power source, is used for food preparation and provides surface cooking, oven cooking, or broiling.

In the Regulations, a range currently includes a gas or electric cooktop that is not an induction cooktop, a gas or electric oven (e.g., a wall oven), or a combined cooking product that includes both a gas or electric cooktop and a gas or electric oven (e.g., a stove or conventional range as in U.S. testing standard).

As electric and gas ranges are both designed to heat and cook food, NRCan intends to amend the Regulations to consolidate electric and gas ranges in a single subdivision. To generally harmonize with U.S. definitions, the following new terms would replace electric and gas ranges in the Regulations:

A cooking product means a cooktop, an oven or a combined cooking product.

A cooktop means a household cooking appliance consisting of a horizontal surface containing one or more surface units that utilize a gas flame, electric resistance heating, or electric inductive heating. This includes any cooktop component of a combined cooking product.

An oven means a household cooking appliance consisting of one or more compartments intended for the cooking or heating of food by means of either a gas flame or electric resistance heating. This includes any oven component of a combined cooking product. It does not include a microwave oven, or a portable or countertop oven that uses electric resistance heating and is designed for an electrical supply of 120 volts.

A combined cooking product means a household cooking appliance that combines a cooking product with other appliance functionality, which may or may not include another cooking product.

Testing standard

NRCan is considering incorporating by reference an NRCan technical standards document (as amended from time to time) that would reproduce the following testing standard:

• Appendix I1 to Subpart B, Part 430 of Title 10 to the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, entitled Uniform Test Method for Measuring the Energy Consumption of Conventional Cooking Products

Energy efficiency standards

The energy efficiency standards under consideration for cooking products are summarized below. These standards would be harmonized with subparagraphs 430.32(j)(1)(iii) and 430.32(j)(2)(ii) of Subpart C, Part 430 of Title 10 to the United States Code of Federal Regulations, as amended from time to time:

• Electric smooth element cooktops (resistance and induction) have a maximum Integrated Annual Energy Consumption (IAEC¹) of 207 kWh/year
• Gas cooktops have a maximum IAEC¹ of 519 kWh/year or 1770 kBtu/year
• Oven control systems shall not include a linear power supply

¹ IAEC excludes any downdraft venting system energy consumption.

The energy efficiency standards would be included in an NRCan technical standards document that would be referenced by the Regulations, as amended from time to time.

Important dates

The changes to the Regulations considered in this technical bulletin would come into force six months after the date of publication in the Canada Gazette, Part II.

NRCan is considering applying the updated standards to cooking products manufactured on or after January 31, 2028, to harmonize with the U.S. compliance date for energy efficiency standards.

However, any dealers could voluntarily comply with the considered changes upon their publication in the Canada Gazette, Part II.

Regulatory pathway

NRCan is considering amending the Regulations through Governor in Council amendment.

The considered changes would be pre-published in the Canada Gazette, Part I, followed by a public comment period. The exact date for final publication in the Canada Gazette, Part II will depend on the number and nature of comments received during the public comment period. Final publications are typically within a year of their initial public comment period. These changes and the timing of publication are subject to decision-making authorities under the Energy Efficiency Act.

Labelling requirements

An EnerGuide label is currently required on electric ranges. As NRCan intends to harmonize with the United States, which does not require labelling for cooking products, NRCan is considering phasing out the current labelling requirement for those products.

Should the U.S. Federal Trade Commission undertake a rulemaking that results in an EnergyGuide label for cooking products, NRCan would reconsider an EnerGuide label for these products.

Verification requirements

There is no change being considered in regard to verification requirements.

Reporting requirements

Energy efficiency report

The energy efficiency report required for cooking products would include the following product specific information:

• Whether the cooking product is: a cooktop, oven(s), or combined cooking product.
• If the cooking product is a combined cooking product, its components, namely: cooktop, oven and/or microwave oven.
• The fuel(s) used by the cooking product, namely: electricity, gas, or both.
• If the cooking product is a cooktop or a combined cooking product with a cooktop component, the cooktop surface technology, namely: resistive coil, resistive smooth, or induction.
• If the cooking product is an oven or a combined cooking product with an oven component: whether it includes a linear power supply.
• The IAEC of the cooking product: in kWh/year, or in kBtu/year for gas cooktops, if applicable.

The Regulations apply to products imported or shipped inter-provincially for sale or lease in Canada. This report must be submitted by the dealer to NRCan before the product is imported into Canada or traded inter-provincially for the first time.

Import report

There is no change being considered in regard to import reporting.

Comments invited

The purpose of this bulletin is to provide stakeholders with the technical detail required to comment on the requirements under consideration for cooking products.

NRCan is specifically interested in getting feedback on:

• The implications of removing energy efficiency standards for electric coil cooktops.
• The implications of removing on-mode energy efficiency standards for electric ovens.
• The implications of removing the EnerGuide label for ranges (i.e. electric cooktops and ovens).

It is important to NRCan that we engage the public and stakeholders on amendments to the Regulations. If you are aware of any manufacturer, importer, retailer, utility provider, small business, consumer group, organization, or representative of a specific group(s) of the population (including, but not limited to, women, 2SLGBTQQIA+ people, persons with disabilities, visible minorities, socio-economic status, residency, housing status, etc.), Indigenous peoples/communities, and/or other person or group that may be interested in participating in the amendment discussion and/or may be negatively impacted by this proposal, please forward them or their representative this bulletin. Please click here to register to our mailing list which is used to notify stakeholders of upcoming amendments, technical bulletins, webinar registrations, official publication in the Canada Gazette, etc.

Additional information on Canada’s Energy Efficiency Regulations including a current list of Standards Council of Canada accredited certification bodies can be found on the Department’s website.

We welcome your comments by November 30, 2024. All correspondence should be forwarded to:

Natural Resources Canada
Office of Energy Efficiency
580 Booth Street
Ottawa, ON, K1A 0E4

E-mail: EEregulations-reglementEE@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca