Editorial Standards & Guidelines
A commitment to accuracy, transparency, and trustworthy information about deregulated electricity markets in Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Washington DC.
Commitment to Accuracy
Consumers rely on accurate, up-to-date information to make important decisions about their electricity service. These editorial standards ensure that every piece of content published on ElectricRates.org meets the highest standards of accuracy, fairness, and transparency.
All electricity rates displayed on this site come directly from licensed electricity suppliers. Placeholder, estimated, or fabricated rate data is never used.
1. Primary Source Verification
Rate and regulatory data is drawn from and cross-checked against primary sources, including:
State regulatory commissions (PUCT/ERCOT, PUCO, PA PUC, MA DPU, and others) U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA.gov) data Official utility rate schedules and provider disclosure documents (e.g. Texas EFLs) Licensed electricity suppliers for live rate data
2. Human Review
Our team reviews the content we publish and corrects errors when we find them. ElectricRates is editorially responsible for everything on this site.
3. Citation Standards
Sources are cited for all statistical claims, regulatory information, and rate data. Citations are placed within 1-2 sentences of the claim they support, with direct links to authoritative sources whenever possible.
4. Regular Content Audits
Content is reviewed on a regular schedule based on topic sensitivity:
- Rate information:Real-time via API (no manual updates needed)
- How-to guides:Quarterly review for accuracy
- Regulatory content:Monthly review and updates as regulations change
- Evergreen content:Annual comprehensive review
We use AI tools in producing this site — for research, organizing rate data, and drafting articles. We're straightforward about that, because what matters isn't whether AI touched a page; it's whether you can trust what the page says. Every article is published under named contributors who are accountable for the work, and ElectricRates is editorially responsible for everything on this site.
What AI is never used for
Rates and prices on this site are never written by AI — every rate comes from a live utility or supplier data feed, and our publishing system refuses to build the site if a page contains a price that didn't come from one. We never present AI output as a customer rating: rating and review markup appears on this site only when it reflects verified first-party feedback.
Human accountability
A person reviews content before and after it's published — on a quarterly review schedule for rate-sensitive pages — and a person answers for it when we get something wrong (see our corrections policy below). AI drafts; it doesn't decide what we tell you.
A living practice
AI tools, provenance standards, and disclosure norms are changing quickly. We update this page as our practices evolve rather than pretending they're frozen.
Meet the team: Learn more about our contributors on theAbout page.
When Corrections Are Made
Errors are promptly corrected when brought to attention. Corrections are handled based on severity:
- Minor errors(typos, formatting): Corrected silently
- Clarifications(ambiguous language): Updated with note at bottom of article
- Material errors(factual inaccuracies): Corrected with prominent correction notice
How to Report an Error
If you believe you've found an error in the content, please contactour corrections team. Include the article URL and a description of the error. All submissions are reviewed within 48 hours with responses to valid concerns within 5 business days.
Editorial Independence
Editorial content is created independently of business partnerships. Electricity rate information, utility guides, and educational content are produced solely based on accuracy and consumer value, not commercial considerations.
Business Relationships
Transparency about the business model and partnerships:
ElectricRates.org partners with licensed enrollment providers to offer Smart Enroll services Rate data is provided directly from licensed electricity suppliers ElectricRates.org is operated by ComparePower.com
Affiliate Disclosure
When you enroll in an electricity plan through this site, ElectricRates.org may receive compensation from electricity suppliers. This does not affect which plans are shown or the order in which they appear—plans are displayed based on rate and terms, not commission.
Data Sources
All electricity rate data displayed on ElectricRates.org comes from authoritative sources:
Competitive Rates
Licensed suppliers (real-time)
Utility Base Rates
State PUC filings
State Average Rates
EIA.gov monthly data
Regulatory Info
PUCO, PA PUC, MA DPU
Questions About These Standards?
Transparency is a core value. If you have questions about the editorial process or want to report a concern, please reach out.