Section 20-716
§ 20-716 Legislative findings. The council hereby finds that the
demand for electricity in the city has been steadily growing; that the
supply of electricity has on frequent occasions been inadequate fully to
meet the demand therefor; that the distribution system of the public
utility company serving most of the city has frequently been disrupted
by heavy loads; that major brownouts and blackouts in various sections
of the city have frequently resulted from such conditions, particularly
in the summer; that there is no present basis for concluding that such
conditions will not continue for the foreseeable future; that fifty
percent of the annual summer growth in demand for electricity in the
city is due to air conditioning, that forty percent of the peak summer
demand for electricity in the city is attributable to air conditioning;
that room air conditioners use a significant part of the electricity
used for air conditioning in the city; that the amount of electricity
used by room air conditioners of comparable cooling capacity varies
widely; that most sellers of room air conditioners do not presently
advertise, display or otherwise provide prospective purchasers
information as to the amount or cost of electricity required to operate
the various models of room air conditioners; that such information, if
provided, would lead consumers to purchase more efficient models; that
the growth in demand for electricity in the city, particularly in summer
months, would thereby be slowed and there would be an amelioration of
some of the conditions which lead to brownouts and blackouts. The
council also finds that an adequate supply of electricity is vital to
the health, safety and welfare of all persons in the city. Accordingly,
the council further finds that, in order to conserve electricity, there
is a need to provide prospective purchasers of room air conditioners
with information with respect to the efficiency and cost of operation of
such units.
Section 20-717
§ 20-717 Definitions. (a) "Room air conditioner" shall be defined as
any electrical appliance which has a compressor, a condenser, an
evaporator and a fan to cool and dehumidify the surrounding air and
which is capable in ordinary usage of being mounted in a window or
through a wall.
(b) "Cooling capacity rating" shall be defined as the quantity of heat
in British thermal units which a room air conditioner is capable of
removing in one hour.
(c) "Wattage rating" shall be defined as the number of watts of
electricity necessary to obtain the cooling capacity rating of a room
air conditioner.
(d) "Person" shall be defined as any individual, firm, company,
partnership, corporation, association or other organization who is
ordinarily engaged in the business of selling or offering for sale room
air conditioners.
Section 20-718
§ 20-718 Display of information. Any person selling, offering for sale
or displaying for sale any room air conditioner shall set forth by a
stamp, tab, label or sign at the point of display the model number,
cooling capacity rating, wattage rating and estimated yearly cost of
electricity necessary to operate such room air conditioner.
Section 20-719
§ 20-719 Furnishing information. Upon request, any person selling or
offering for sale any room air conditioner shall furnish to anyone who
inquires about such room air conditioner information as to the model
number, cooling capacity rating, wattage rating and estimated yearly
cost of electricity necessary to operate such room air conditioner.
Section 20-720
§ 20-720 Advertising. Any person who advertises a room air conditioner
for sale in the city shall include in any advertisement therefor the
model number, cooling capacity rating, wattage rating and estimated
yearly cost of electricity necessary to operate such room air
conditioner.
Section 20-721
§ 20-721 Regulations. (a) The commissioner shall adopt regulations
setting forth procedures for determining the cooling capacity rating,
wattage rating and estimated yearly cost of electricity necessary to
operate room air conditioners.
(b) In determining procedures for estimating the yearly cost of
electricity necessary to operate room air conditioners, the commissioner
may use such published electric rate or rates, hours of operation, and
average thereof as he or she deems reasonable.
Section 20-722
§ 20-722 Penalties. Any person or agent or employee thereof who shall
violate any provision of this subchapter or of the regulations
promulgated pursuant thereto shall be subject to a civil penalty of not
less than twenty-five dollars nor more than two hundred fifty dollars
for each day in which a violation occurs.
To the extent possible under law, Friends of Devin Balkind for Public Advocate has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to New York City Administrative Code. This work is published from: United States.
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