Hi,
I have station-level electric fuel price variable that is reported in different formats - per hour, usage, two part tariff, restrictions on these different formats, et cetra.
Ultimately, I would like to run some regressions with this price variable, and thus I am trying to clean this price variable and make it numerical.

Two questions -
1. Theoretical: I understand that this would distort the data - not only would I be losing information, but also potentially misrepresent some observations.
Was wondering if there is any justification for defending the clean price variable I create?
2. Empirical: I was thinking about dividing all the observations into a few categories, and then writing an observation cleaning code for each category.
Is there another more efficient way?

Thanks in advance.


Code:
* Example generated by -dataex-. To install: ssc install dataex
clear
input strL price
"$0.05 per kWh"                                                                                                                                                 
"$1 per hour, minimum payment of $1.5"                                                                                                                          
"Level 2: $0.12 per kWh"                                                                                                                                        
"$3 per hour"                                                                                                                                                   
"$1.35/Hr Parking Fee"                                                                                                                                          
"$0.5 per hour, $0.15 per kWh"                                                                                                                                  
"Pricing is based on length of time and kWh used. $0 per hour for the first 1 hour, and $1 per additional hour, $0.32 per kWh, maximum payment of $30"          
"Pricing is based on length of time. $0.6 per hour for the first 4 hours, and $5 per additional hour"                                                           
"minimum payment of $3, maximum payment of $10, $3 per session"                                                                                                 
"$0.02 per hour, minimum payment of $1.2"                                                                                                                       
"$0.1 per kWh"                                                                                                                                                  
"Level 2: $0.59 per kWh"                                                                                                                                        
"Pricing is based on length of time and kWh used. $0 per hour for the first 3 hours, and $3 per additional hour, $0.13 per kWh, maximum payment of $20"         
"Pricing is based on length of time and kWh used. $0 per hour for the first 3 hours, and $20 per additional hour, $1 per kWh"                                   
"Level 2: $2.00 per hour, maximum payment of $40.00"                                                                                                            
"Pricing is based on length of time. $1 per hour for the first 3 hours, and $5 per additional hour, minimum payment of $1, maximum payment of $30"              
"$0.28 per kWh; $0.26 per minute above 60 kW and $0.13 per minute at or below 60 kW"                                                                            
"Pricing is based on length of time. $1 per hour for the first 2 hours, and $4 per additional hour, minimum payment of $1"                                      
"$1.67 per hour"                                                                                                                                                
"Level 2: $0.03 per 30 seconds"                                                                                                                                 
"$0.2 per kWh"                                                                                                                                                  
"$0.00-$1.00/Hr Variable Parking Fee"                                                                                                                           
"$0.2 per hour"                                                                                                                                                 
"$0.13 per kWh"                                                                                                                                                 
"Pricing is based on kWh used. $0.67 per kWh"                                                                                                                   
"$0.15 per kWh, minimum payment of $0.15"                                                                                                                       
"$1.5 per hour, minimum payment of $1.5, maximum payment of $9, maximum session time is 24 hours"                                                               
"Pricing is based on length of time. $0.12 per hour for the first 4 hours, and $3 per additional hour, minimum payment of $0.5, maximum payment of $50"         
"$0.28 per kWh; $0.26 per minute above 60 kW and $0.13 per minute at or below 60 kW"                                                                            
"Pricing is by session. $2 per session, maximum session time is 5 hours"                                                                                        
"$1 per hour"                                                                                                                                                   
"$0.28 per kWh; $0.26 per minute above 60 kW and $0.13 per minute at or below 60 kW"                                                                            
"Pricing is based on length of time. $1.25 per hour for the first 4 hours, and $10 per additional hour"                                                         
"$0.00-$1.00/Hr Variable Parking Fee, $0.32/kWh Energy Fee"                                                                                                     
"$0.28 per kWh; $0.26 per minute above 60 kW and $0.13 per minute at or below 60 kW"                                                                            
"Pricing is based on length of time. $1 per hour for the first 3 hours, and $5 per additional hour"                                                             
"$2.00/Hr Parking Fee"                                                                                                                                          
"$2 per hour"                                                                                                                                                   
"Level 2: $0.59 per kWh"                                                                                                                                        
"Level 2: $0.03 per 30 seconds"                                                                                                                                 
"Pricing is based on length of time. $1 per hour for the first 3 hours, and $5 per additional hour"                                                             
"Level 2: $0.49 per kWh"                                                                                                                                        
"Pricing is based on length of time. $0 per hour for the first 1 hour, and $2 per additional hour"                                                              
"Pricing is based on length of time. $0.05 per hour for the first 1 hour, and $0.1 per additional hour"                                                         
"$1 per 4 hour for first four hours; $10 per hour thereafter"                                                                                                   
"$1.00/Hr Parking Fee"                                                                                                                                          
"Pricing is based on length of time. $1.5 per hour for the first 2 hours, and $20 per additional hour"                                                          
"$0.28 per kWh"                                                                                                                                                 
"$1 per kWh"                                                                                                                                                    
"Pricing is based on an hourly rate. $1.5 per hour, minimum payment of $0.75, maximum session time is 24 hours"                                                 
"$2 per hour"                                                                                                                                                   
"Pricing is based on length of time. $1.5 per hour for the first 4 hours, and $10 per additional hour, minimum payment of $1.5"                                 
"$2.00/Hr Parking Fee"                                                                                                                                          
"Flat fee $2.50 plus $0.24 per kWh"                                                                                                                             
"$0.00-$3.25/Hr Variable Parking Fee, $0.00-$0.25/kWh Variable Energy Fee"                                                                                      
"Level 2: $0.59 per kWh"                                                                                                                                        
"$0.00-$2.00/Hr Variable Parking Fee, $0.13/kWh Energy Fee"                                                                                                     
"Level 2: $0.49 per kWh"                                                                                                                                        
"Level 2: $0.03 per 30 seconds"                                                                                                                                 
"$0.13 per kWh"                                                                                                                                                 
"$0.00-$1.00/Hr Variable Parking Fee"                                                                                                                           
"Pricing is based on length of time. $1.25 per hour for the first 4 hours, and $3 per additional hour, maximum payment of $24, maximum session time is 24 hours"
"Pricing is based on length of time and kWh used. $0 per hour for the first 3 hours, and $5 per additional hour, $0.16 per kWh"                                 
"Pricing is based on length of time. $1.25 per hour for the first 4 hours, and $3 per additional hour, maximum payment of $24, maximum session time is 24 hours"
"$2.00/Hr Parking Fee"                                                                                                                                          
"$0.25 per hour"                                                                                                                                                
"$0.26 per kWh"                                                                                                                                                 
"$0.49 per kWh, first 5 minutes free, minimum payment of $0.50"                                                                                                 
"Pricing is based on length of time. $1 per hour for the first 4 hours, and $5 per additional hour"                                                             
"Pricing is based on length of time and kWh used. $0 per hour, and $5 per additional hour, $0.15 per kWh"                                                       
"$1.50 per hour"                                                                                                                                                
"$0.5 per kWh, maximum payment of $25, $2.5 per session"                                                                                                        
"$1 per hour"                                                                                                                                                   
"Pricing is based on length of time. $0.5 per hour for the first 2 hours, and $10 per additional hour"                                                          
"$0.2 per kWh"                                                                                                                                                  
"Pricing is based on length of time. $1.5 per hour for the first 3 hours, and $5 per additional hour"                                                           
"$0.49 per kWh, minimum payment of $1"                                                                                                                          
"Pricing is based on length of time. $0 per hour, and $10 per additional hour, maximum payment of $50"                                                          
"$2 per hour, minimum payment of $2"                                                                                                                            
"Level 2: $0.49 per kWh"                                                                                                                                        
"$0.3 per hour"                                                                                                                                                 
"$0.25 per kWh"                                                                                                                                                 
"Pricing is based on length of time and kWh used. $0.31 per hour for the first 4 hours, and $1.15 per additional hour, $0.12 per kWh"                           
"Pricing is based on length of time and kWh used. $0 per hour, and $0.25 per additional hour, $0.3 per kWh"                                                     
"Level 2: $0.49 per kWh"                                                                                                                                        
"Pricing is based on length of time and kWh used. $0 per hour for the first 1 hour, and $3 per additional hour, $0.25 per kWh"                                  
"Pricing is based on length of time. $1.25 per hour for the first 4 hours, and $3 per additional hour, maximum payment of $24, maximum session time is 24 hours"
"$0.25 per kWh"                                                                                                                                                 
"$0.2 per kWh"                                                                                                                                                  
"$5 per hour"                                                                                                                                                   
"Level 2: $0.59 per kWh"                                                                                                                                        
"Level 2: $0.20 per kWh, maximum payment of $30.00"                                                                                                             
"Pricing is based on length of time. $1 per hour for the first 4 hours, and $5 per additional hour"                                                             
"DC Fast: $0.28 per kWh, maximum payment of $30.00"                                                                                                             
"Level 2: $0.49 per kWh"                                                                                                                                        
"Pricing is based on length of time. $1.5 per hour for the first 4 hours, and $5 per additional hour"                                                           
"Pricing is based on length of time. $1.5 per hour for the first 3 hours, and $5 per additional hour"                                                           
"$0.49 per kWh, first 5 minutes free, minimum payment of $0.50"                                                                                                 
"$0.19 per kWh"                                                                                                                                                 
"$0.2 per kWh, $1 per session"                                                                                                                                  
end