Shehanly publishes cost figures and payback calculations that people use to make five-figure decisions about their homes. That obliges us to be transparent about how the content is made. This page explains it.
Sourcing Standards
Every cost range, efficiency rating, or incentive amount we publish must be traceable to at least one of the following, cited in the article:
- Federal agency data — the Department of Energy, the Energy Information Administration, ENERGY STAR, the IRS, or the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
- State energy offices and public utility commission filings, including published tariff schedules.
- Utility programme documentation for rebates, including the programme rules in force at the date of writing.
- Manufacturer specification sheets and AHRI certified performance directories for equipment claims.
- Published contractor pricing surveys and industry cost indices, identified by name and year.
Where sources disagree, we say so and present the range rather than picking the most flattering number. We do not cite other blogs as a primary source for a figure.
Use of AI Tools
We use AI language models as research assistants and drafting aids — for outlining, for summarising long technical documents, and for first drafts. We do not publish model output unedited.
Before anything goes live, a human editor verifies every factual claim against a primary source, rewrites for accuracy and readability, removes anything the model could not substantiate, and takes responsibility for the finished article. If a claim cannot be sourced, it is cut. The byline on an article is the person accountable for it, not the tool that helped draft it.
What We Will Not Do
- Accept payment for a favourable review, a ranking position, or inclusion in a comparison.
- Publish sponsored articles or paid guest posts disguised as editorial.
- Sell links, or add affiliate links to a product we would not recommend without one.
- Let an advertiser, affiliate partner or PR agency review an article before publication.
- Present an estimate as though it were a quote, or a national average as though it applied to your house.
Updates and Corrections
Energy content decays fast. Utility rates change annually, rebate budgets run out mid-year, and tax credit rules are amended by legislation. We review cost and incentive articles on a rolling schedule and date-stamp every update.
When we correct a material error we fix the text and add a dated correction note at the foot of the article rather than quietly editing it. If you spot something wrong, please tell us through the contact page and include a source if you have one.
Independence
Advertising and affiliate revenue keep this site free to read. Commercial and editorial decisions are kept separate: the people who choose what we cover are not compensated based on which products readers buy. Our full commercial disclosures are on the Disclaimer page.