Explain why your electric bill jumped

About this exercise

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.

Common mistakes when you ask AI for this

• Missing the estimated reading. The AI blames your usage or the season and skips the notice that last month's reading was estimated. Try: Add: "Line 3: Ask about the estimated reading notice."
• Repeating the neighbor. The AI says rates doubled, but the bill shows a one-cent change. Try: Add: "Use only the bill's numbers for the rate."
• No math shown. The AI says usage doubled without the numbers. Try: Show it: "1. Usage: 1,280 - 640 = 640 kWh more".
• Getting energy-saving tips. The AI lists ways to cut usage instead of explaining the bill. Try: Add: "No tips. Don't guess causes the bill doesn't show."
• Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for "under 80 words" and it often lands well over. Try: Cap each part: "each line under 20 words."

What a strong prompt includes

• Asks for the usage math
• Asks about the rate
• Asks about the estimate
• Rules out guessing
• Sets a word limit

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