Factsheet 1

WHO IS A "DEALER"?

A "dealer" is a person whose business:

• manufactures energy-using products in Canada; or
• imports energy-using products into Canada; or
• sells or leases energy-using products that are obtained, directly or indirectly, from a person who manufactures energy-using products in Canada or imports them into Canada.

REGULATED ENERGY-USING PRODUCTS

The Regulations specify the following as energy-using products:

automatic ice-makers;

clothes dryers;

clothes washers;

dehumidifiers;

dishwashers;

electric motors (1 to 200 HP/0.746 to 150 kW);

• electric ranges;
• electric water heaters;
• fluorescent lamp ballasts;
• general service fluorescent lamps;
• general service incandescent reflector lamps;
• freezers;
• gas boilers;
• gas furnaces;
• gas ranges;
• gas water heaters;
• ground- or water-source heat pumps;
• integrated over/under washer-dryers;
• internal water-loop heat pumps;
• large air conditioners, heat pumps and condensing units;
• oil-fired boilers;
• oil-fired furnaces;
• oil-fired water heaters;
• packaged terminal air conditioners and heat pumps;
• refrigerators and combination refrigerator-freezers;
• room air conditioners;
• single-phase and three-phase single-package central air conditioners and heat pumps; and
• single-phase and three-phase split-system central air conditioners and heat pumps.

The Regulations apply to an energy-using product even when it is part of a larger machine.

NRCAN'S LIST OF COMPLIANT PRODUCTS

Product information contained in the energy efficiency report is entered into a database at NRCan to determine compliance with the Energy Efficiency Regulations. Products that are compliant may be imported into Canada or shipped between provinces.

Energy Efficiency Reports

Under Section 5 of the Energy Efficiency Act

The Energy Efficiency Act and the Energy Efficiency Regulations set energy efficiency standards for specified energy-using products and provide descriptions of the responsibilities of dealers for these products. For household appliances and room air conditioners, the Act and the Regulations also require dealers to attach an EnerGuide label to their product.

A dealer who imports a specified energy-using product into Canada, or ships such a product from one Canadian province to another, must be sure that the product meets the prescribed energy efficiency standard.

What is an energy efficiency report?

Section 5 of the Act requires that an energy efficiency report be sent to Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) before an energy-using product is imported into Canada or shipped between provinces. The report describes the energy-using product and provides information on its energy efficiency. The energy efficiency report should include the following:

• product type (from the list on page 4 of Guide to Canada's Energy Efficiency Regulations);
• brand name;
• model number*;
• manufacturer;
• name of the organization or province that carried out the product energy performance verification and authorized the verification mark that will be put on the product; and

*For electric motors, the energy efficiency report should indicate the product's unique motor identifier, or UMI, instead of a model number. For a definition of UMI, see Fact Sheet 6 – "Electric Motors and the Energy Efficiency Regulations."

• specific information about the energy efficiency and energy-use characteristics of the product. Schedule IV of the Energy Efficiency Regulations sets out the exact information that must be provided for each type of product. Look for the product type in column I of Schedule IV, the relevant CSA or CGA standard in column II, and the type of information to include in the Section 5 report in column III.

When does a dealer have to make a report?

A dealer is required to file an energy efficiency report with NRCan only when a product is not already listed in NRCan's database. Dealers can check with NRCan (at the address, fax number or web site shown on the last page of this fact sheet) to find out if an energy-using product is already listed in NRCan's List of Compliant Products. In the case of electric motors, only one report need be filed for motors that have the same UMI.

Products that are included in NRCan's List of Compliant Products can be imported into Canada and shipped between provinces, provided no changes have been made to the product that affect its energy efficiency. If a product is not yet listed with NRCan, the dealer must submit a report for the product before importing it or shipping it between provinces.

If the product was manufactured before February 3, 1995, the dealer is not required to send a report to NRCan, affix an EnerGuide label to the product or meet the federal energy efficiency standard.

How should a dealer send a report to NRCan?

A dealer may submit an energy efficiency report to NRCan by hand or mail, on hard copy, on diskette in Lotus 1-2-3 or Excel formats, or by fax to:

Housing, Buildings and Regulations Division
Office of Energy Efficiency
Natural Resources Canada
580 Booth Street, 18th Floor
Ottawa, ON K1A 0E4
Fax: (613) 947-0373

What does NRCan do with an energy efficiency report?

NRCan checks the information in an energy efficiency report to make sure that the product meets the prescribed energy efficiency standard. If it does, the product model is added to NRCan's List of Compliant Products.

If a product does not meet the prescribed energy efficiency level, NRCan will contact the dealer who is planning to import the product or ship it between provinces. NRCan will ask the dealer to correct the situation before the first importation or shipment of the product. NRCan will also request information from dealers who do not file the required energy efficiency reports, or who file incomplete reports.

Revenue Canada sends information about importations of regulated products to NRCan. This information is cross-matched with information in the database to determine compliance with the Regulations.

NRCan will instruct customs officials to stop the importation of a product that does not meet the prescribed energy efficiency standard.

Additional information

Copies of the Energy Efficiency Act (Statutes of Canada 1992, Chapter 36) and the Energy Efficiency Regulations (Canada Gazette, Part II, Volume 128, Number 22, November 2, 1994; Volume 129, Number 24, November 29, 1995; Volume 131, Number 25, December 10, 1997; and Volume 133, Number 1, January 6, 1999) are available in most public and university libraries and may be purchased in some bookstores.

This document is one of seven fact sheets providing information on the Energy Efficiency Act and the Energy Efficiency Regulations:

To obtain more information or to receive other fact sheets, contact:

Housing, Buildings and Regulations Division
Office of Energy Efficiency
Natural Resources Canada
580 Booth Street, 18th Floor
Ottawa, ON K1A 0E4
Fax: (613) 947-0373

Helpful web sites

Energy Efficiency Regulations: http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/regulations

Office of Energy Efficiency: http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca

Cette fiche est également disponible en français sous le titre «Rapports visés à l'article 5 de la Loi sur l'efficacité énergétique».