Respondent Letters

Respondent Letters_RECS-2009.pdf

Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS)

Respondent Letters

OMB: 1905-0092

⚠️ Notice: This form may be outdated. More recent filings and information on OMB 1905-0092 can be found here:

Document [pdf]

Download: pdf | pdf

APPENDIX B: RESPONDENT LETTERS
1. Letter to Household (Initial Contact)
2. Letter to Household (Nonresponse)
3. Letter to Rental Agent
4. Letter to Energy Supplier

RECS (1905-0092)

September 2009

Appendix B.1

U.S. Department of Energy
Washington, DC 20585

February, 2010
Dear Resident:
The United States Department of Energy has selected your household to participate in the 2009
Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS). This survey is the only source of energy-related
information for households in the United States and provides information about the types of energy we
use, how we use it, and how much we are paying for it. This information is widely used by those who
study energy consumption to help design energy programs and policies.
In the next few weeks, an interviewer from the National Opinion Research Center will be visiting your
home. These interviewers are contractors for the Department of Energy and will assist you in completing
the RECS survey. While your participation is not required by law, your participation in this survey is
essential. This survey will help determine how Americans use energy and how much it costs us to heat
our homes and run our appliances. Upon arrival the interviewer will have a small gift for you as a token
of our appreciation.
In the past, we have found that thinking about a few items ahead of time will reduce the time it takes to
complete the interview. Examples of these items include types of energy used in your household
(electricity, natural gas, wood, etc.), age of your heating system, and number of televisions. It is also
helpful to have a copy of a recent bill from your electric company and other energy suppliers.
Finally, I encourage you to read the enclosed brochure which contains facts about energy usage in the
United States and gives examples of how the information collected is used. If you have any questions,
please call XXXX at (XXX) XXX-XXXX or send an e-mail to XXXXXX. Further information is also
available at our website: www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/recs/contents.html.
Thank you again for you participation.
Sincerely,

XXXXXXXX
Administrator
Energy Information Administration
Enclosure

RECS (1905-0092)

September 2009

PRIVACY ACT NOTICE
The Residential Energy Consumption Survey is being conducted by National Opinion Research Center
(NORC) at the University of Chicago for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). It is authorized under
the Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-275), as amended and the Energy Policy
Act of 1992.
The purpose of this survey is to collect residential energy consumption statistical information to be used
by the DOE and other Federal agencies to administer programs, monitor energy usage, and plan for our
nations’ energy future.
As part of this survey, we are requesting permission from you to obtain your energy consumption and
expenditures data from your fuel suppliers. NORC, or some other designee of DOE, will need to
maintain your name and address in order to collect information from your fuel suppliers. At a later time,
we may also contact your household to update information about your use of energy in your home.
Your participation in this survey is voluntary.
The information you provide will be kept strictly confidential and will be used for statistical purposes
only. All the information the DOE’s statistical agency, the Energy Information Administration (EIA),
collects for this survey about your household is confidential. In accordance with the Confidential
Information Protection provisions of Title 5, Subtitle A, Public Law 107-347, and the Privacy Act of
1974, your responses will NOT be disclosed in identifiable form without your consent to anyone other
than employees or agents of DOE. By law, every DOE/EIA employee, every DOE/EIA contractor
employee, and any agent is subject to a jail term, fine or both if he or she makes public any information
that could identify your household.

PUBLIC REPORTING BURDEN
You are not required to respond to this collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB
control number. The OMB control number for this data collection is 1905-0092. The reporting burden
on the public for this collection of information is estimated to average 52 minutes for the personal
interview. Send comments regarding the public reporting burden or any other aspect of this collection of
information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to:
Energy Information Administration
Statistics and Methods Group, EI-70
1000 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20585
and
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs
Office of Management and Budget
Washington, DC 20503

RECS (1905-0092)

September 2009

Appendix B.2

U.S. Department of Energy
Washington, DC 20585

February, 2010

Householder Name
Address 1
City, State, Zip Code
Dear Householder,
Recently an interviewer from the National Opinion Research Center contacted you on behalf of the
United States Department of Energy and asked for your participation in the 2009 Residential Energy
Consumption Survey (RECS). I understand you expressed some reservations about participating in this
survey.
Your household is very important to the survey so I am asking again for your participation. I want to
assure you we will make every effort possible to minimize the demands on your time and we are more
than ready to accommodate the needs of your schedule. Your identity and the information you provide
will be held in strict confidence in accordance with the law as described on the reverse side of this letter.
Your name and address will not be given to anyone else.
The RECS is conducted by the Department of Energy to learn about how U.S. households use energy.
This survey will help determine how Americans use energy and how much it costs us to heat our homes
and run our appliances. The results are widely used by those who study energy consumption to help
design energy programs and policies. You can get more information about the RECS at
www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/recs/contents.html.
I have asked a representative to contact you again shortly to schedule an interview. If you have any
questions, please call XXXX at (XXX) XXX-XXXX or send an e-mail to XXXXXX.
We very much appreciate your cooperation and participation.
Sincerely,

XXXXXX
Director, Energy Consumption Division
Energy Information Administration
Enclosure

RECS (1905-0092)

September 2009

RECS (1905-0092)

September 2009

Appendix B.3

U.S. Department of Energy
Washington, DC 20585

Dear Rental Agent:
In a few days, the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago, on behalf of
the U.S. Department of Energy, will be contacting you by telephone to ask for your help with the 2009
Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS). This survey is the only source of energy-related
information for households in the United States and provides information about the types of energy we
use, how we use it, and how much we are paying for it.
A national sample of households was interviewed to gather information about energy characteristics of
U.S. homes. Some respondents who rent their houses or apartments may not be able to answer some
questions during the interview, such as the type of equipment and fuel used to heat water. For these
households, landlords or rental agency are being contacted by telephone to gather information about
energy use in the building which some renters may not know about.
Your identity and the information you provide will be held in strict confidence in accordance with the law
as described on the reverse side of this letter. The enclosed pamphlet provides more background facts
about the RECS survey and gives examples of how the information collected will be used.
If you have any questions or want more information about RECS, call NORC toll-free at 1-800-XXXXXXX or by email at [email protected]. If you want to speak to someone at the U.S. Department of
Energy, please call Chip Berry at (202) 586-7237 or by email at [email protected]. You can also
get more information by visiting our Web site on the Internet at
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/recs/contents.
We very much appreciate your cooperation and participation.
Sincerely,

Director, Energy Consumption Division
Energy Information Administration
Enclosures

RECS (1905-0092)

September 2009

PRIVACY ACT NOTICE
The Residential Energy Consumption Survey is being conducted by National Opinion research Center
(NORC) at the University of Chicago for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). It is authorized under
the Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 (Public Law 93-275), as amended and the Energy Policy
Act of 1992.
The purpose of this survey is to collect residential energy consumption statistical information to be used
by the Department of Energy and other Federal agencies to administer programs, monitor energy usage,
and plan for our nations’ energy future.
NORC or some other designee of DOE, will need to maintain your name and address in order to check on
changes relating to the use of energy in your rental units.
Your participation in this survey is voluntary.
The information you provide will be used for statistical purposes only. All the information the DOE’s
statistical agency, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) collects for this survey about your
household is confidential. In accordance with the Confidential Information Protection provisions of Title
5, Subtitle A, Public Law 107-347, and the Privacy Act of 1974, your responses will NOT be disclosed in
identifiable form without your consent to anyone other than employees or agents of DOE. By law, every
DOE/EIA employee, every DOE/EIA contractor employee, and any agent is subject to a jail term, fine or
both if he or she makes public any information that could identify your household.
PUBLIC REPORTING BURDEN
You are not required to respond to this collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB
control number. The OMB control number for this data collection is 1905-0092. The reporting burden on
the public for this collection of information is estimated to average 18 minutes for the interview. Send
comments regarding the public reporting burden or any other aspect of this collection of information,
including suggestions for reducing this burden, to:
Energy Information Administration
Statistics and Methods Group, EI-70
1000 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20585
and
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs
Office of Management and Budget
Washington, DC 20503

RECS (1905-0092)

September 2009

Appendix B.4

U.S. Department of Energy
Washington, DC 20585

Dear Energy Supplier:
The Energy Information Administration (EIA) of the U.S. Department of Energy is continuing its study of
America’s residential energy use by conducting the 2009 Residential Energy Consumption Survey
(RECS). This letter is to notify you that EIA’s contractor XXX will be contacting you to obtain energy
billing information for the households interviewed in the RECS that named you as their energy provider.
A nationally representative sample of 15,000 U.S. households has been selected to participate in the
RECS. Most of these households have already completed an in-person interview in which information
about those things that affect energy consumption and expenditures and the names of their energy
suppliers were collected. As part of the interview these households have signed an Authorization Form
permitting the Department of Energy to collect their energy billing data and related information directly
from their suppliers.
In the next step, please provide the billing records of these households so that we may gain a more
complete understanding of how much, and for what purposes, they used energy. For your information,
we have enclosed a fact sheet, copies of the data collection form, and a Frequently Asked Questions sheet
that should answer your questions concerning this survey.
Your participation in this survey is required by Federal law. The specific laws and citations are described
on the back of this letter and in the enclosed Frequently Asked Questions. The information you provide
about specific households will be held in strict confidence in accordance with the provisions of federal
law as described on the back of this letter. Only aggregated summaries of the data collected will be
published.
If you have any questions, please call CONTRACTOR, who will perform the actual data collection for
the Department of Energy, (800) NNN-NNNN. If you want to speak to someone at the U.S. Department
of Energy, you can call Chip Berry at (202) 586-5543 or by email at [email protected]. You can
also get more information by visiting us on the Internet at www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/recs/contents.
Sincerely,

Director, Energy Consumption Division
Energy Information Administration
Enclosures

RECS (1905-0092)

September 2009

PRIVACY ACT NOTICE
The Residential Energy Consumption Survey is being conducted by Name of Contractor for the U.S.
Department of Energy. It is authorized under the Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 (Public
Law 93-275), as amended and the Energy Policy Act of 1992.
The purpose of this survey is to collect residential energy consumption statistical information to be used
by the Department of Energy and other Federal agencies to administer programs, monitor energy usage,
and plan for our nation’s energy future.
Name of Contractor, or some other designee of the U.S. Department of Energy, will need to maintain
your name and address in order to check on changes relating to the use of energy in the housing units to
which you supply energy.
The information you provide will be used for statistical purposes only. In accordance with the
Confidential Information Protection provisions of Title V, Subtitle A of Public Law 107-347 and other
applicable Federal laws, your responses will be kept confidential and will not be disclosed in identifiable
form to anyone other than employees or agents without your consent. By law, every EIA employee, as
well as every agent, is subject to a jail term, a fine of up to $250,000, or both if he or she discloses ANY
identifiable information about you.
SANCTIONS
The timely submission of Form EIA-457 (D-G) by those required to report is mandatory under Section
13(b) of the Federal Energy Administration Act of 1974 (FEAA) (Public Law 93-275), as amended.
Failure to respond may result in a civil penalty of not more than $2,750 per day for each violation, or a
fine of not more than $5,000 per day for each willful violation. The government may bring a civil action
to prohibit reporting violations which may result in a temporary restraining order or a preliminary or
permanent injunction without bond. In such civil action, the court may also issue mandatory injunctions
commanding any person to comply with these reporting requirements.
PUBLIC REPORTING BURDEN
You are not required to respond to this collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB
control number. The OMB control number for this data collection is 1905-0092. The reporting burden on
the public for this collection of information is estimated to average 30 minutes. Send comments
regarding the public reporting burden or any other aspect of this collection of information, including
suggestions for reducing this burden, send:
Energy Information Administration
Statistics and Methods Group, EI-70
1000 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20585
and
Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs
Office of Management and Budget
Washington, DC 20503

RECS (1905-0092)

September 2009

U.S. Department of Energy
Washington, DC 20585

About the Residential Energy Consumption Survey
The Residential Energy Consumption Survey is conducted every four years by the Energy Information
Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy. The RECS collects energy consumption and
expenditures data and related housing characteristics information from a representative sample of
residential housing units in the United States. The information about residential energy consumption
collected in the RECS is used by energy policy makers in the public and private sectors and is recognized
as the sole definitive data source of energy consumption by the residential sector.
The RECS is a two-part data collection effort. In the first part, in-person interviews are conducted with
householders. During these interviews information about those things that affect energy consumption and
expenditures, including the physical characteristics of the housing unit, the kinds of energy consuming
equipment and appliances used in the home, the types of fuels used, and patterns of energy usage, are
collected.
Within the next few weeks, you will receive a packet of forms and instructions for providing fuel
consumption and expenditures data to us. (Samples of these instructions and forms are enclosed with this
letter.) You may use the individual forms for each household that we provide or, if it is more convenient,
you may use any alternative format, such as a computer print-out, spreadsheet, or data base as long as all
the data asked for in the forms is included.
The information you provide to us will be kept confidential in accordance with the provisions of the
Confidential Information Protection provisions of Title 5, Subtitle A, Public Law 107-347 and the Privacy
Act of 1974.
A representative from NAME OF CONTRACTOR, who will perform the actual data collection for the
Department of Energy, will telephone you soon to ask to whose attention the data collection materials
should be directed and to answer any questions you may have.
Your participation is very important to the success of this effort. We appreciate your help in this
important study.

RECS (1905-0092)

September 2009

File Type	application/pdf
File Title	SUPPORTING STATEMENT - OMB RECS 2005
Subject	RECS 2005 OMB
Author	Laurence/Battles/Latta
File Modified	2009-09-16
File Created	2009-09-16