Update in the Effective Date of the Proposed Amendment to the Energy Efficiency Regulations

Bulletin
May 2006

Fluorescent Lamp Ballasts

As of April 1, 2005 Canada's Energy Efficiency Regulations required that fluorescent lamp ballasts, manufactured on or after this date, meet a new prescribed minimum energy performance standard in order to be imported or shipped interprovincially for sale or lease in Canada, effectively eliminating some current models from the market.

In August 2005, NRCan issued a notice March 2005 and August 2005 proposing an amendment to the regulations on fluorescent lamp ballasts. This Bulletin included the following proposal on effective dates of application of the amendment:

1. repealing the effective date to now require all ballasts to comply with the regulations regardless of date of manufacture. The current standard for fluorescent lamp ballasts came into effect on April 1, 2005. NRCan is proposing to repeal this effective date as of July 1, 2006. The effective date for Replacement Ballasts is April 1, 2010 (unchanged).
2. The proposed changes in this document (March 2005 Bulletin) will come into effect July 1, 2006. These changes will apply to all products (except for replacement ballasts) regardless of date of manufacture.

Due to delays and timelines set by the regulatory process in Canada, the official coming into force of the proposed amendment will not take place prior to July 1, 2006 as proposed in the Bulletins. Consequently, NRCan will not be in a position to enforce the amendment proposed in the March and August 2005 bulletins on this date. For these reasons, NRCan is proposing the following:

The proposed changes listed in the August 2005 Bulletin would come into effect upon publication of the amendment in the Canada Gazette, Part II. The changes will apply to all products (except for replacement ballasts) regardless of date of manufacture.

Pre-publication of this proposed amendment is published in the Canada Gazette Part I, in the month of May 2006 for a period of 75 days. Final publication in the Canada Gazette Part II, should take place in the fall 2006.

Comments on the proposed changes should be forwarded to: