How to prepare your electricity usage CSV
A meter file is useful only when its timestamps, durations, and units mean the same thing.
Use three columns
Use start,minutes,kwh as the column headers. A start such as 2026-09-11T16:00:00-04:00 includes the UTC offset. Minutes is the interval duration, a whole number from 1 to 60. kwh is energy consumed in that interval, not a cumulative meter reading or a kW demand value.
Keep the clock honest
An explicit offset or Z is required on every timestamp. Select the utility timezone separately: it determines the local peak window and weekday. Repeated local clock times at the end of daylight saving time are different intervals when their offsets differ. Duplicate instants and overlaps are rejected.
Review before replacing
The import preview shows the row count, consumption, recorded hours, and internal gaps before you confirm. The file replaces the usage table, not the tariff assumptions. Cancellation leaves the current comparison unchanged. The maximum is 10,000 intervals and a 2 MB file. Empty, negative, overlapping, or malformed records are not silently repaired.
A gap-free file is not a complete bill
Only gaps between the first and last supplied intervals can be detected. Check the beginning and end against your actual billing period. Enter the total fixed charges for the same period. Missing consumption is not estimated and results are not annualized. The optional solar export credit is a flat per-kWh subtraction, not a modeled net-metering tariff.
Before choosing a plan
Use the rate-plan verification checklist to confirm current tariff terms, fees, and your usage inputs before relying on the comparison.
Reference sources
These sources explain utility-rate concepts. They do not verify the sample rates or your uploaded data. Model 1.1.0.