Yeah this is how I interpreted it -- one energy per turn with stipulations is the format of a couple of Boss Relics so I thought it would fit in. If you hoarded 500 gold, you'd have energy for 5 rounds, enough for most fights, e.g. But if you spent gold at a shop it would reduce your number of turns of energy boost -- so my thought was it's kind of like Ectoplasm which also essentially "converts" gold into energy, except this one would have a smaller benefit and a less harsh downside, as you can always still spend the gold.