How are you planning to keep energy costs low after the recent energy hikes?

[Jenny]

Hello everyone!

As you know, we’ve seen a significant increase in wholesale energy costs, which has led to higher energy tariffs and bills for everybody. I thought I’d share a few of my own energy-saving tips with you.

Like my Dad used to say, switch those lights off if you’re not using them!  

It’s easy to leave a light on when you leave a room, but you’re saving a little money every time you remember to switch them off.  Once you’ve nailed the habit of switching lights off, you could even look at more energy efficient lighting, e.g. LED bulbs, or my favourite, fairy lights!  Lighting makes up 11% of your average electricity consumption, so it’s worth making some changes.

Wash your clothes at a lower temperature wherever you can.

While it’s understandable that you might need to wash bed linen and towels at a higher temperature, you might like to consider where you can use the washing machine at a lower temperature, as this will save you on the money it takes to heat the water up.  Many machines also have an “eco” mode which helps conserve water.  You can then top off all that good feeling about saving money and water, by using lovely eco-friendly detergent for your laundry.

Stop using the tumble dryer and get your laundry out on the washing line.  

As soon as the sun comes out, you can save money by popping your clean laundry out on the washing line.  If you don’t have access to a washing line, you might have a clothes airer, or even an old fashioned pulley which is also a great space saver. There’s nothing nicer than line-dried fresh sheets for you, or for your guests!

Ditch the bath, have a shower!

Having a bath is considered luxurious by many, but if you’re willing to switch to showers, you can save money and water if you can keep your showers fairly short. You might also think about replacing your traditional shower head with a water saving shower head, especially if you have a rental, and therefore don’t have control over how long your guests take in the shower.

Turn appliances off at the plug when they’re not in use.

Some appliances can be real energy guzzlers even when they’re not in use. Get into the habit of turning appliances off at the plug regularly, for example when you’re going to bed, or when you’re doing changeover at your property.

Turn your thermostat down by one degree.

Almost half the money you spend on your energy bills is spent on heating and hot water costs. By turning down your thermostat even by one degree, you’ll save money, and you might even find you didn’t need to have it that high in the first place!

I’m curious to know how you’re planning to keep your energy costs reasonable during this time, and about how you can encourage your guests to do the same.

Please share your thoughts in the comments!

[Helen744]

@Huma0  Yes  I  agree . Prices must go up across the board . i looked at my 2016 rates and was horrified to see that my prices are not a lot better than they were. Inflation is starting to run high on all of our costs ,so a price increase is inevitable but the market is being held artificially low by 'churn ' i.e new hosts coming in and out . Its a rock and a hard place really H

[Laurelle3]

@Jenny it might end up going back to the metre days which we found very strange in some hotels we stayed in 1968 - 1970 in England and Scotland.

One house we rented in England also had a metre which you put coins in, so you would load this up on pay week. This was very strange to us from Australia and my generation as we hadn't experienced the post 2nd World war and cutbacks or tokens or the depression like my parents had.

Also part of my childhood was using kerosene latterns when we lived in the bush and no electricity and a wood fuel stove(Aga) or the open fireplace .

Another life experience is going to bed with a hot brick warmed up in the oven and wrapped in a towel and put into the bed to help keep us warm. We did evetually get a hot water bottle for the bed.

Oh! the memories, this is what makes some of us tough. Not like our children that shared some of these lifestyles but definitely not our grandchildren who think it is on at a flick of the switch. However, they learn in the next stage of life when they provide for themselves. 

[Sybe]

That reminds me of those camping showers where you had to use a coin to get warm water @Laurelle3 . Definitely an interesting experience to try and find a coin with soap in your hair because the timing was never the same for these showers!

It might be that my building is very well isolated as I didn't need to turn on the heating at all this winter. I'm also someone who'd rather wear an extra sweater.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Huma0 dont give them access to the machine, tell them to collect their laundry and you will wash it 1xweek

[Huma0]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 

I tried that in the past, but I am not sure it works with long term guests. Laundry is something that guests can get quite irate about. I am not sure why they are so sensitive about it, but they are. 

For example, even though it is a shared house so it should be obvious that someone else might be using the laundry facilities when you want to, many guests get disproportionately upset if they can't do their laundry the minute they want to.

A few months ago, I added to my house rules that guests were allowed to do one load of laundry a week, but they completely ignore that. 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Huma0they can't ignore it if the machine is locked out of their reach. Or if they are charged per load,.  Is there any self-service laundry nearby?

[Huma0]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 

No. There used to be one but it's been turned into a fancy kitchen and bathroom design showroom. My area is slowly being gentrified. There are laundry services/Apps they could use but they are insanely expensive. Bear in mind also that most of my guests will wash the sheets and towels themselves. They have an option of me doing this (and cleaning their rooms) for a small fee, but most will opt to do it themselves rather than pay.

I'm afraid I think that a washing machine is a must when you host long term guests. Mine is an integrated one in the kitchen, so it's not possible to lock it away out of reach. 

I tell guests before they do their first load to let me know so that I can talk them through how to use the machine. I explain to them that it's large capacity (8kg) so that, even if they think they have a full load, it's probably only going to be a half load and therefore they should use one of the quick wash settings. Most actually get this (they just keep doing lots of tiny loads, which is really annoying) but the guy currently staying had it on for THREE hours for a small load earlier this week. He completely disregarded my instructions, even though I was nearby in the garden so he could have asked for help if he'd forgotten. 

Although I have specified ONE load per week in my house rules, perhaps I need to add a charge for additional loads. I just don't think I can charge them for washing the bedlinen and towels, which is something I WANT them to do rather than let them get really grubby. Or, I just specify that I will wash their sheets and towels and not give them the option.

[Amanda660]

We have done all that we can with regards to switching to leds, good double glazing curtains and blinds, thick carpets and good quality underlay in the bedrooms and lounge, insulation, etc but I cannot get folks to stop opening the windows when the heating is on.  

We’ve had a run of well heeled overseas students staying recently as part of Scottish road trips who went full on mental on the heating front.  All live in student accommodation (with bills included).  

[Emilie]

@Amanda660 It's great you've done all these improvements in your home already! 😃

That being said I understand it can be quite challenging to ensure guests are more mindful of those things during their stays. I've read before some tips on the CC to raise awareness of those little gestures, with some posters or note cards around, a few guidelines signposted in your house or integrated to any documentation you share with them when they check-in for example. I'm curious, have you tried any of those sort of tricks before?

[Debra300]

@Jenny,

The energy rates in St. Lucia have always been up to four times more than the average costs in more developed countries.  From day one, we have always emphasized energy efficiency and have employed various methods and tools to encourage guests to conserve.

There is no need for heating in the Caribbean, but the most expensive appliance to use is the air conditioner.  It is common practice in tropical regions to install a mini-split system in the bedrooms, and use it only during bedtime.  The rest of the house will be equipped with standing or ceiling fans to circulate the air that flows in from the open doors and windows.  My place is modern, but the suites are pretty spacious, and have 15 foot (4.6 mt) high ceilings.  Since most construction is made of block and mortar or wood, insulation is not used on island.

During the walkthrough at check-in I inform guests that the more efficient way to use the AC is to set the temperature at 25/26C (77/79F), turn on the ceiling at the low or medium spin, windows and doors should be closed, and louvers should deflect direct sunlight into the suite.  Guests still will use only the AC, set it as low as 19C (66F), and leave the bathroom door open where the window is also open.   In the early days of hosting, many would also "forget" to turn off the AC while they were gone all day. 

These are the energy conservations steps that we employ:

1. All light fixtures and bulbs are LED.  Installed inverter AC units.  Use a solar water heater.  Turn off the power to sockets in between stays.  Line dry laundry.
2. Our first step to reduce unnecessary electricity usage was to install Lightwave smart sockets so we could remotely turn off the power to AC units that were left on.  Their application also allows us to monitor daily usage and see cost of usage: 
3. The most effective deterrent to energy waste is something we borrowed from one of our Airbnb stays in Martinique.  We installed a keyed power switch on the AC's power cable, and put the key on a small lock with the entrance key.  Guests must use the key to provide power to the AC, and power it off to remove the set of keys before departure. 
4.  
5. In the bathrooms, we installed 3.8kg (0.9 c.f.) compact washing machines that are connected only to cold water (standard in the region), spin dryers, and foldable drying racks.  Laundry dries quickly even when hung indoors.  The washer's capacity can accommodate the typical clothing worn during a tropical holiday, or two complete sets of bath towels.  We wash in bulk the bed linen, shower curtains, bath mats and beach towels in our large washer.  
6. On the wall of the walkway to the suites, we installed energy meter breakers that monitor and display usage so our guests can see their energy consumption.  In the listing details and in communications with guest, we state that the nightly rate includes XX kwh (more than enough to run the AC for 16 hours and use other appliances), and any usage above the total allocated for the stay will be deducted at checkout (we would charge the actual local rate).  This has helped guests be more aware of their usage, and eliminated abusive usage outliers.  We can see that the AC and other appliances are being used at typical levels, and have never charged anyone for extra usage.
7. 

[Helen744]

@Debra 300 wow you have thought of everything. I often see holiday lets that have extra charges for electricity and gas and I did wonder about them as it is not generally something that can be easily set up for in Australia especially in private homes.We just struggle with those who are out all day and leave high cost gas or aircon on all day because they love the feel of arriving to either a cool or warm house .We have an eco heater in our hallway which I tell people they may leave on all day to 'take the chill off the air' and add the gas heaters when they arrive back each day. I need to replace it but am not sure what people would suggest as I cannot seem to find another the same .H

[Emilie]

@Debra300 Some amazing learnings and tips there on AC and energy management, thank you for sharing! I love how you've married clear communication with the use of technology, this system seems to be working super well for you and your guests. 🙂

I've never seen a keyed power switch, does it work only for AC or for anything really? I can imagine it'd be useful in a bunch of scenarios. 💡

[Debra300]

@Emilie,

The keyed power switch works on anything.  They're used on things that require restricted ability to be turned on or off.  You probably have seen keyed power switches, but they had faceplates and looked more like the following image.  Mine are wall mounted because they're used on external power cables versus in-wall wiring.

[Sybe]

@Debra300 Those I do recognise! We used to have a couple of these in the supermarket I worked at when I was 16. One of them was used for the rolling shutters for the tobacco behind the counter and another I think for the rolling shutters at the front door.

[Huma0]

@Debra300 

I wonder if one of these could be used for my washing machine...

Here in the UK, we have very, very strict electrical safety regulations. I don't know how it is in St Lucia as I've never hosted guests from there, but most guests who stay (bar Australians) are surprised at how strict certain things are, e.g. that they can't use a hairdryer in the bathroom. Also, I have to have an electrical safety certificate to rent out rooms.

Still, it's something worth checking with a qualified electrician. The wall switch that turns on the power to the washing machine also connects to the dishwasher. That would be fine as I'm usually the only one who puts the dishwasher on. I don't want people running it until there is a full load and I have plenty of dishes and cutlery so there is really no need to do that.