Energy Usage Calculator 2.0

With energy pricing staying as high as it is, I decided it was high time for a major upgrade to my Energy Usage Calculator.

A few years ago, I created a basic tool to help me while I was at work. On a near-daily basis, I was helping customers understand their bills and why their costs had spiraled; the original tool was functional, but definitely more complicated than it needed to be.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been prototyping this in Excel, Power Apps, and various web frameworks to find the most user-friendly approach. I hit a roadblock with Office 365 integrations—while powerful, they force users to sign in with a Microsoft account, which isn't ideal for a quick, free, public-access web tool.

So, I’ve spent the last few days—juggling hospital visits, Abi’s driving lessons, childcare, work, and everything else life throws at me—bending WordPress and the Calculated Fields Form plugin to my will. It was a learning curve, but that’s exactly why I enjoy these projects.

What’s New in 2.0?

I’m happy to launch the Energy Usage Calculator 2.0. I’ve overhauled the logic for significantly higher accuracy:

• Simplified Input: You no longer need to navigate through complex "setup" menus.
• Streamlined Logic: The tool simply asks for your meter reading dates, the readings themselves, your kWh rate, and your standing charge.
• Instant Results: It automatically calculates what your bill should be for the specific period provided.

The Roadmap

It’s not quite the finished article yet. In the coming days, I plan to roll out:

• Usage Breakdown: Automatic daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly cost projections.
• Manual Override: An option to skip meter readings and just input the total energy consumed for those who prefer quick-and-dirty math.

Please take it for a spin and let me know what you think. There's no point in me maintaining a tool that isn't fit for purpose, so your feedback is incredibly valuable. Is it easy to use? Is the math checking out with your actual bills?

Drop a comment below or find me on the socials!