The Federal Trade Commission said yesterday annual energy costs will be more prominently displayed on its well-known yellow EnergyGuide labels affixed to common household appliances.

The new EnergyGuide labels will display estimated operating costs in dollars per year to allow consumers to compare the energy efficiency of different appliance models. Like the old labels, the new labels will continue to display energy consumption such as annual electricity use.

The FTC was required to update the labels as part of energy legislation passed by Congress two years ago. The new rules will be effective in about six months.