Electric bill estimate methodology
wattbenchs turns public average rates into conservative bill ranges. The calculation is useful for benchmarking, not tariff-level billing.
Calculation
Monthly estimate midpoint equals monthly kWh usage multiplied by residential average cents per kWh, divided by 100. The displayed result is widened into a range to avoid false precision.
Included
Average rate, user-selected usage, state market context, source vintage.
Excluded
Fixed fees, tiered pricing, taxes, time-of-use details, discounts, and specific plan terms.
Freshness rules
State pages should use EIA-826 monthly data for current rate context. Utility pages use EIA-861 annual data as a reference and must show vintage labels.
Advertising and editorial separation
wattbenchs is designed for AdSense Auto Ads, but estimate tools, disclaimers, source labels, and editorial explanations remain the primary page content. Manual ad slots are intentionally not placed in the layout.