WattPal Architecture & Methodology
Under the Hood: How WattPal Analyzes Texas Electricity Plans
Most electricity shopping sites look at three arbitrary snapshot numbers (500, 1,000, and 2,000 kWh) or rely on provider referral commissions. Here is how WattPal's engine actually analyzes your interval data against live Texas plans.
Published Sep 7, 2026 · By WattPal Editorial Team
35,040
15-min intervals analyzed per home
1,600+
Active Texas EFLs parsed & monitored
10M+
Calculations evaluated per report
$0
Broker kickbacks, ads, or bias
1. 15-Minute Interval Ingestion (35,040 Data Points)
Every home with a smart meter in the deregulated ERCOT grid records energy usage in 15-minute intervals. A standard 12-month export from Smart Meter Texas contains exactly 35,040 individual readings (4 intervals/hour × 24 hours × 365 days).
Why interval granularity matters:
- • Seasonal swings: Texas summers require massive air conditioning loads, while mild spring and autumn months drop usage substantially. Annual average calculations hide seasonal bill jumps.
- • Peak vs. Off-Peak timing: When you run appliances, cook, or charge an electric vehicle directly determines whether a time-of-use (TOU) plan saves you money or penalizes you.
Learn how to export your interval file in our Smart Meter Texas CSV Guide.
2. Daily Extraction of 1,600+ Electricity Facts Labels
Electricity providers publish legally binding rate terms on an Electricity Facts Label (EFL). WattPal continuously tracks and parses over 1,600 active EFL documents across all deregulated Texas utilities (Oncor, CenterPoint, AEP Texas Central, AEP Texas North, and TNMP), extracting:
Retail Energy Charge
The fixed or tiered rate per kWh charged by the Retail Electric Provider (REP).
Base / Monthly Customer Charge
Fixed monthly account fees (often $4.95 to $9.95/month) applied regardless of usage.
TDU Delivery Charges
Regulated utility pass-through delivery fees updated bi-annually with PUCT tariffs.
Bill-Credit Triggers & Caps
Exact usage minimums and maximums required to trigger bill credit discounts.
You can test individual EFL documents using our free EFL Inspector Tool.
3. Bill-Credit Cliff & Fine-Print Detection
Many of the "cheapest" plans on comparison websites use bill-credit cliffs. For example, a plan might offer a $100 credit if you use between 1,000 and 2,000 kWh in a billing cycle. If you use 995 kWh in April or 2,005 kWh in August, you receive $0 credit and your effective rate doubles.
How WattPal evaluates credit traps:
Instead of checking if your annual average hits 1,000 kWh, WattPal runs the calculation for each individual monthly billing period using your actual recorded readings. If you miss the credit in shoulder months, WattPal's total annual cost accurately reflects that penalty.
For a deep dive on credit mechanics, read our Bill-Credit Trap Guide.
4. Real Time-of-Use (TOU) & Solar Buyback Matching
Time-of-use plans (e.g., Free Nights from 9 PM to 6 AM, or Free Weekends) charge higher daytime rates in exchange for free off-peak electricity. Generic comparison tools cannot accurately score these plans because they do not know when you use electricity.
Our hourly simulation methodology:
- • Window binning: Each 15-minute interval is tagged as paid or free based on the plan's exact day-of-week and hourly window.
- • TDU delivery pass-through: Even when energy is free, some plans pass through TDU delivery fees during free hours. WattPal models both full-free and energy-only free structures.
- • Solar export evaluation: For rooftop solar homes, exports during paid hours earn credit while zero-priced free hours are accounted for properly.
Independent & Math-Only: Why $9.99?
"Free" electricity brokers make money through referral commissions (often $100 to $150 per enrolled customer). That business model incentivizes brokers to steer you toward high-commission providers.
WattPal charges a simple, one-time $9.99 fee for a comprehensive 12-month analysis report. We do not accept broker fees, affiliate payments, or sponsored rankings from energy companies.
Editorial Methodology & Data Sources
WattPal rate data is sourced directly from public Electricity Facts Labels (EFL) filed with the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) and registered transmission/distribution utilities (Oncor, CenterPoint, AEP Texas Central, AEP Texas North, and Texas-New Mexico Power). Calculations use exact decimal arithmetic.
Ready to analyze your electricity data?
Upload your SmartMeter Texas CSV to see your ranked plans across every active Texas provider.