{"id":"life-sb-utility-bill-spike","audience":"small-business","category":"everyday-life","track":"life","technique":"grounding","title":"Explain why your electric bill jumped","free":false,"task":"You work from a home office, and this month's electric bill is much higher. Using only the bill, get exactly 3 numbered lines in plain text, under 80 words: 1. the usage change in kWh with the subtraction shown; 2. the rate change per kWh, old and new; 3. one question to ask the utility, starting \"Ask:\". Don't guess at causes the bill doesn't show. Write a prompt that gets you exactly that.","materialLabel":"Your electric bill (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"RIVERVALE POWER & LIGHT - RESIDENTIAL BILL (fictional)\nCustomer: Omar Haddad | Service: 9 Larkspur Way\nBilling period: Oct 2 - Nov 1, 2026 (30 days)\n\nMETER READINGS\nPrevious: 41,280 (estimated) | Current: 42,560 (actual)\nUsage this period: 1,280 kWh\n\nUSAGE HISTORY\nOct 2026 bill: 640 kWh (actual reading)\nNov 2026 bill: 1,280 kWh\n\nCHARGES\nCustomer charge ................................. $12.00\nEnergy: 1,280 kWh x $0.16 ....................... $204.80\nTotal ........................................... $216.80\n\nLast bill energy rate: $0.15 per kWh\n\nNOTICE: Your previous reading on Oct 2 was estimated because our technician could not access the meter. Estimated readings are trued up at the next actual reading.\n\nMY NOTES\n- My usage should be about the same as last month. Same computer, same space heater.\n- My neighbor says Rivervale just \"doubled everyone's rates.\"\n- Last month's total was about $108.","rules":[{"type":"numberedItems","count":3},{"type":"maxWords","max":80},{"type":"plainText"}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Missing the estimated reading","why":"The AI blames your usage or the season and skips the notice that last month's reading was estimated.","fix":"Add: \"Line 3: Ask about the estimated reading notice.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Repeating the neighbor","why":"The AI says rates doubled, but the bill shows a one-cent change.","fix":"Add: \"Use only the bill's numbers for the rate.\"","checks":["r1"]},{"title":"No math shown","why":"The AI says usage doubled without the numbers.","fix":"Show it: \"1. Usage: 1,280 - 640 = 640 kWh more\".","checks":["r0","numberedItems"]},{"title":"Getting energy-saving tips","why":"The AI lists ways to cut usage instead of explaining the bill.","fix":"Add: \"No tips. Don't guess causes the bill doesn't show.\"","checks":["r2","plainText"]},{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting. Ask for \"under 80 words\" and it often lands well over.","fix":"Cap each part: \"each line under 20 words.\"","checks":["maxWords"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Asks for the usage math","patterns":["kwh","subtract","minus","usage"]},{"label":"Asks about the rate","patterns":["rate","per kwh","0\\.1[56]"]},{"label":"Asks about the estimate","patterns":["estimat","reading","ask:"]},{"label":"Rules out guessing","patterns":["don'?t guess","only (the )?bill","no tips"]},{"label":"Sets a word limit","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words","word (limit|count)"]}],"hint":"Bills often explain themselves in a small notice. Tell the AI exactly what to compare, to stay inside the bill, and to turn the notice into a question.","rubricLabels":["Line 1 gives the usage change as 640 kWh more, with the subtraction shown (1,280 - 640)","Line 2 gives the rate change from $0.15 to $0.16 per kWh and doesn't say rates doubled","Line 3 starts with \"Ask:\" and asks the utility about the estimated October 2 reading (whether this bill includes usage missed by the estimate), and the answer doesn't blame the space heater or other causes not on the bill"]}