The word universe is a misnomer because the universe is not a unit. As Gödel showed us some 100 years ago, there is no Mathematical 1.

We cannot use the word universe, except as a concept that includes all its (conflicting) parts.

We cannot say that there was nothing prior to the universe because that sentence is illogical.

We live in a material universe, and the material universe is 13.8 billion years old (give or take). Prior to the material universe there was no matter.

To declare that there was no energy prior is not available for us because we do not have any data to say that energy was not already around.

Matter came into being

Energy does not get lost

These are our tools to work with.