Ranges and Ovens

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THE PRODUCT:

Ranges and ovens are consumer products that are designed to heat or cook different types of food. Each product may consist of a horizontal cooking top containing one or more surface units and/or one or more heating compartments.

THE STANDARD:

Congress enacted standards on ranges and ovens in 1987, effective 1990.  The standard bans standing pilot lights in gas ranges and ovens that have an electrical supply cord. A second round of standards culminated with a final rule on April 8, 2009. DOE extended the "no standing pilot light" requirement to include all gas cooking products whether or not they have an electrical cord. DOE determined that standards for electric kitchen ranges and ovens did not warrant revision - a "no-standard" standard. Concurrently, DOE is amending its test procedure for kitchen ranges and ovens to include measures of standby mode and off mode energy consumption. A proposed rule was issued in December 2010 and a final rule is due in 2011.

There are no ENERGY STAR specifications for ranges and ovens.

KEY FACTS:

Virtually all U.S. households have a range/oven. Shipment data in DOE's 2009 final rule indicate a 62% market share for electric ranges and 38% for gas ranges.