← Open the tool · The gimmick guide

How to read an EFL, line by line

Every Electricity Facts Label has the same skeleton. Read it thus:

  • Average Price per kWh (500 / 1,000 / 2,000). Three numbers, not one. If they’re far apart, the plan is not flat — that spread is the gimmick’s fingerprint.
  • Energy Charge (¢/kWh). The real per-kWh rate. Compare this, not the advertised average.
  • Base Charge ($/month). Fixed dollars owed before any usage — a low-usage penalty (see above).
  • Usage Credit / Bill Credit. Note the exact kWh threshold and whether it’s forfeited on partial billing cycles. This is the cliff.
  • TDU Delivery Charges. Pass-through, identical across plans in your region. Some labels omit them (shown as **); the real charge still applies.
  • Fine print / footnotes. Autopay conditions, proration, credit-forfeiture rules. The math can’t see these — read them.

When in doubt, type the numbers into the tool. It recomputes the label’s own printed averages; if they match, the components are right, and you can trust the curve.