The maker of the Roomba and other robotic vacuum cleaners has reached a $1 million settlement with the California Energy Commission over the state’s claim the product did not comply with the Energy Commission’s energy efficiency standard for small battery chargers.
As part of the agreement, iRobot Corp. also will also offer a $20 rebate to California customers who register their vacuum products by Nov. 19.
“This rebate represents the approximate overpayment for energy consumed by using a noncompliant device,” the Energy Commission announced Nov. 12.
The company also will meet California energy standards for the Roomba, Braava, Scooba, Create and Looj, and stop selling old models that don’t comply by Dec. 1, 2015.
“Once the Energy Commission receives verification that a product meets the requirements, the product is entered in the online, searchable appliance efficiency database. Only products listed in the database may be sold or offered for sale in California,” the commission said.
Headquartered in Bedford, Mass., with offices in California, iRobot says it generated $557 million in revenue in 2014. By 2013, the company says it sold 10 million home robots worldwide.
According to reporting from SiliconBeat, the company said in a statement it disagrees that robots are subject to the commission’s standards but is taking the matter seriously and has modified several products to meet California standards.
