EYEBISSCheck a bill

Public methodology · Version 0

Start with evidence. Keep unknowns visible.

Eyebiss separates source facts, observations, calculations, analysis, inference, and unknowns before it presents an answer. This page describes the public knowledge method. The current decision flow uses a bounded reviewed market snapshot; it does not claim live statewide or universal plan coverage.

Evidence model

Claim provenance is part of the content, not a footnote.

OFFICIAL_SOURCE

A regulator, official market body, or controlling contract document states the fact.

OBSERVED

A bill, notice, or other source directly shows the fact for a defined period.

CALCULATED

A reproducible formula derives the result from named inputs.

EYEBISS_ANALYSIS

Eyebiss applies its versioned method to supported facts and calculations.

STRONGLY_INFERRED

Evidence supports an interpretation, but it is not directly stated as fact.

UNKNOWN

The evidence is absent, stale, conflicting, or not reliable enough.

An observation does not become a contract term. A calculation does not become an official fact. An Eyebiss answer does not become independent evidence merely because it was published.

Decision architecture

How household electricity evidence should be evaluated

  1. Establish scope and eligibility.Confirm residential use, Texas location, service territory, and whether retail choice applies. ZIP or ERCOT status alone can be insufficient.
  2. Identify the exact current product.Match the bill with the correct EFL, TOS, YRAC, plan version, contract expiration, and ETF. UNKNOWN stays unknown.
  3. Reconcile observed bills.Preserve service dates, kWh, recurring charges, TDU delivery, credits, taxes, and non-recurring items separately. Do not merge statements or annualize a partial period blindly.
  4. Apply comparable usage.Price every supported option with the same month-by-month profile. Time-of-use needs a defensible time split or an explicit scenario—not an invented household fact.
  5. Respect the decision horizon.Include contract timing, ETF, offer availability, and compatible terms. Do not extrapolate an expired plan or short-term offer beyond its evidence.
  6. Choose or abstain.KEEP, WAIT, or SWITCH requires sufficient evidence and named limitations. Otherwise return NEEDS_INFORMATION and say what is missing.

Advertised vs effective pricing

EFL reference rates help validate a plan formula. A household result must still apply all represented recurring charges and conditions at the actual usage and period. The numerator of an effective-rate calculation must be stated.

Contract timing and ETFs

Switching economics use the remaining supported horizon, exact contract evidence, and requested switch timing. A generic renewal or 14-day slogan cannot replace the actual notice.

Freshness

Regulatory rules, tariffs, EFLs, availability, and product terms are freshness-sensitive. Every public source record stores a retrieval date and limitation; rate-sensitive claims require a deliberate refresh.

Limitations

Eyebiss is not an outage service, electrician, REP, TDU, regulator, live rate oracle, or enrollment service. Public answer pages are educational until household and current-market evidence support a decision.

Future research

Aggregated findings need a separate publication gate.

Eyebiss has not published customer-population statistics. Future research must follow minimum-sample, suppression, deduplication, cohort, reproducibility, and privacy safeguards before a number can appear in public content.

Read the public research safeguards

Primary references

Sources grounding this methodology

  1. PUCT Substantive Rule 25.475: General Retail Electric Provider Requirements and Information DisclosuresPublic Utility Commission of Texas

    The contract documents include the TOS, EFL, and YRAC. The rule defines fixed-rate and variable-price products. The EFL uses standardized price disclosures, including specified usage levels. Contract-expiration notices must describe termination penalties and applicable timing.

    Retrieved 2026-08-21 · Texas · primary source · freshness highConsumers should verify the current rule and their own TOS, EFL, YRAC, and expiration notice before acting.
  2. Power to Choose User GuidePublic Utility Commission of Texas

    Power to Choose is an official PUCT resource for comparing competitive electricity plans. Its plan filters include usage, contract term, minimum-usage fees or credits, tiered rates, and time-varying pricing. Household electricity usage varies seasonally.

    Retrieved 2026-08-21 · Texas · primary source · freshness mediumA plan listing is not a household-specific recommendation and must be read with its contract documents.
  3. Power to Choose GlossaryPublic Utility Commission of Texas

    Official consumer definitions for EFL, REP, delivery company, kWh, contract documents, and plan charges.

    Retrieved 2026-08-21 · Texas · primary source · freshness mediumDefinitions summarize consumer concepts; controlling law and the customer's contract remain authoritative for a dispute.
  4. Power to Choose Plan OptionsPublic Utility Commission of Texas

    Fixed, variable, indexed, prepaid, and time-of-use products have different pricing and contract behavior. Time-of-use prices may vary by time or day.

    Retrieved 2026-08-21 · Texas · primary source · freshness mediumIndividual EFLs and TOS documents control the actual product mechanics.
  5. Transmission and Distribution Service ProvidersElectric Reliability Council of Texas

    TDSPs own or operate transmission or distribution equipment and facilities. TDSPs are distinct from competitive retail providers. PUCT sets regulated TDSP service rates.

    Retrieved 2026-08-21 · ERCOT region, Texas · primary source · freshness mediumDelivery territories and tariffs can change and require current verification.
  6. ERCOT Retail MarketElectric Reliability Council of Texas

    ERCOT administers retail-market data and switching transactions in its region. ESI IDs identify points of delivery in retail-market transactions.

    Retrieved 2026-08-21 · ERCOT region, Texas · primary source · freshness mediumERCOT-region status alone does not establish that a particular address has retail choice.