What this page does

This is the canonical record of how JustWatt produces content. It is linked from every byline on the site under “Open methodology →”. If you’ve clicked that link, this is where you wanted to land.

What we publish

JustWatt covers the consumer side of UK home electrification: EV chargers, EV tariffs, salary sacrifice schemes, electric cars, running costs, and (from month 4–6) heat pumps. We are not a retailer, installer, scheme provider, or energy supplier. We make money from display advertising and from affiliate commission on some recommendations — disclosed below.

How we research

At launch (May 2026), JustWatt content is synthesised from four sources, in order of weight:

  1. Manufacturer specifications and documentation. Datasheets, spec sheets, firmware release notes, install manuals. Primary source for hard numbers (kW ratings, BIK percentages, MPG, kWh efficiency).
  2. Verified owner reports and submitted user data. Anonymised reports from our reader panel plus public owner forums (filtered by ownership length and verification).
  3. Industry sources. Trade press, regulatory documents, grant guidelines, HMRC, gov.uk, DVLA, Ofgem.
  4. Ross’s personal experience. Where Ross has installed, lived with, or used a product, his hands-on assessment is incorporated and called out explicitly in the content.

We do not claim physical testing we have not done. Where independent hands-on testing has been conducted, we say so explicitly — with dates and conditions. As the site matures, hands-on testing will expand and this page will be updated.

How we rate products

Where we rate, the rating is the editorial team’s view based on synthesised research. We do not aggregate external review scores. We do not invent star ratings. When a rating appears, the methodology used to arrive at it is explained on the page itself — typically in a methodology callout block above the rating.

Reviews fall into two categories:

  • Hands-on review: Ross or a JustWatt editor has used the product. The review will say so, with dates. Rating reflects measured performance.
  • Research synthesis: We have not used the product directly. The review consolidates manufacturer spec, verified owner reports, and industry data. The page will explicitly state “Based on research synthesis, not hands-on testing.” No rating is published in research-synthesis reviews unless the data is overwhelming.

How we update

Refresh discipline is part of how we earn trust:

  • Calculators (BIK, charging cost, salary sacrifice): annually at the start of each tax year, plus immediately on any rate or rule change.
  • Grants pages: immediately on any policy change.
  • Tariff comparisons: quarterly, plus immediately on tariff changes.
  • EV reviews and charger reviews: quarterly, plus on firmware/hardware refresh or model refresh.
  • “Best of” listicles: quarterly, plus on new entrant launches.
  • Explainers and reference content: every 6 months as an editorial audit.
  • Pillar hubs: quarterly content audit plus ad-hoc.

Every page on the site shows its “Last updated” date. The corresponding dateModified schema field is kept in sync mechanically. If a page is materially out of date, please tell us and we’ll prioritise the update.

How affiliate works on JustWatt

JustWatt earns affiliate commission on some recommendations. We never base recommendations on commission rates. Our process is:

  1. Identify the best product for the use case based on the research above.
  2. Then check whether an affiliate link exists for that product.
  3. If yes, link via affiliate. If not, link to the merchant anyway with no commission.

We would rather earn nothing than recommend a worse product because it pays more.

Affiliate links are disclosed on every page that uses them, above the fold. The badge looks like this:

Some links on this page earn us commission. We never base recommendations on commission rates.

Some pages — including this one, the about page, and certain editorial pieces — contain no affiliate links at all. Those pages display a “No affiliate links” badge to make the difference visible.

How we handle disagreements

If a manufacturer disputes a claim we have published, our process is:

  1. Reply within 5 working days acknowledging the dispute.
  2. Re-check the underlying source data and methodology.
  3. If we were wrong, we issue a public correction with date and signature. The corrected page links to the correction.
  4. If we stand by the original claim, we explain why in writing.

We do not remove published content to settle disputes. Where we are wrong, we say so in public.

What’s still imperfect

A few honest acknowledgements about where JustWatt is in May 2026:

  • Hands-on testing is limited at launch. As revenue grows, we will commission more hands-on testing. We will not pretend we have tested something we have not.
  • The reader panel is small. Sample sizes in some research are smaller than we would like. Where we cite a panel size, you can read it directly.
  • AI imagery at launch. Real photography of installs, products, and the team is a post-revenue upgrade goal (target: month 9). Until then, we use a documented AI imagery style and editorial stock. See our photography policy for the detail.

Get in touch

If you spot something wrong, find a method that’s worth changing, or have data we should see, contact us. Corrections are signed and dated; suggestions are welcome.

Methodology version 1.0 · Published 15 May 2026 · This page is updated when our process changes materially.

How we work

Sources: Editorial methodology documented at /methodology/.

No money changed hands. No brand reviewed paid us or saw this article before publication. Full methodology.

Corrections: if we got something wrong, tell us and we'll fix it in public, dated and signed. Last updated 15 May 2026.