How do you encourage guests to be mindful of energy usage?

[Elisa]

 

Hello everyone and have a great week! 😊

Reading through your posts in the community, I’ve noticed that managing electricity use is a common challenge for many of you.

Some guests might not be fully aware, which could unintentionally result in extra energy use.

Clear communication seems to go a long way, and tools like smart thermostats have also been mentioned as helpful solutions.

I’m sure there are plenty of other creative, guest-friendly ways to approach this. How do you encourage guests to be more mindful of their energy use during their stay?

I’m looking forward to reading your thoughts!

Warmly,
Elisa 🌻

[Elisa]

Hi @Brendan226 😊, 

Thank you for sharing this here!

That’s a great idea. Where did you install the sensor switches inside? In which part of your listing?

[Brendan383]

@Elisa Vacation sensor switches (turn off after not detecting activity for 30 min, but only turn on manually) were installed in any location where the sensor has a view of the area the light is illuminating and in places where noting could obstruct the sensor. So in the kitchen, where switches are over countertops they were omitted etc. In addition the outside lighting moved to a timer switch. I have 4 outside doors and an upper balcony. The waterside is used often so I left this a regular dimmer switch, but the upper balcony, and other lights over the exterior doors moved to timers. The less used doors have a 1-2-4-8hr selector and the balcony and front door, where I want to be able to leave lights on for guests arriving have a 2-4-8-12hr timer selector. The side lights which were often left on more than half the time (yes, they were running over 12hrs a day on average) have gone down to a fraction of that. Barley ever used. They are hooked up to two 300w bulbs, so 600w each. We have also noticed that the indoor lights are used less. Most notably they are less likely to light the non-sleeping areas while they are sleeping. There is already household night lights installed throughout. They are built into the walls and can not be turned off. But many guests just left the lights on all the time unless it was bothering them when they tried to sleep. There are still lights on the regular switches which can be left on, but its no longer possible to keep them all on if your not using the space.

After a year of use now I have had no complaints. I on the other hand find the switches to be very handy and prefer using them. I particularly like the utility room switch, as I often have my hands full when leaving, so I sometimes just reply on the sensor to turn the light off. I also like the outdoor timer switches. I sometimes turn one on when taking garbage out and instead of turning it off, when I come back, let the timer turn it off. I also sometimes turn extra outdoor lights on when I know someone is visiting. I just pick the right time for there arrival, and let the lights turn them selfs out. I wouldn't often turn those lights on because I know I might forget to turn them off in situations like awaiting someones arrival where I am not myself under the light, and are often occupied when its time to turn if off (after the friend arrives)

[Elisa]

Hi @Brendan383 😊, 

It’s impressive how much thought you put into the sensors and timers.

Since you’ve been using them for a year now without complaints, have you noticed any particular spots or setups where guests still struggle with lighting?

[Richard3358]

I just build the energy costs into my listing.  I also have a note asking guests to set the AC to 78 when checking out, and not to run the AC if they have the patio doors open because it could freeze up the AC unit.

Otherwise if they want to have it set at 60 to sleep then fine, whatever keeps them comfortable.  I think you should be more concerned about how you are cooling the unit, be sure you have efficient systems installed.  I keep my bedroom at 62 degrees at night.  When I travel I expect that I should be able to get at least 70 degrees at night.  Most people will probably be happy with 72 - 74. 

As for lighting, now most lighting is available in LED that is nearly identical to filament.  I resisted the change for years because ambiance is very important to me, but finally they have nearly perfected it.  Switching to LED makes it a non issue for lighting, the costs to run lighting is so insignificant you should not even think about it.  The vast majority of energy costs comes from hot water tanks, AC and Heating.

I would think energy costs would be the least of your worries, and whats the most important is a great guest experience.

[Pat9899]

I have had the first guest with an electric car who needed to charge it every night. I am concerned about the impact this would have on my electricity bill. Has anyone also had this experience and can offer some feedback on its costs.  My electricity bill is quite large as the guests often leave lights and heaters on any way.  

[Brian3765]

I recommend that you enable  #Print(Approve incorrect MTCN  as a valid Western Union ATM gift)

[John5097]

@Elisa

I've posted this before. 

In most situations it uses less energy to leave a heat pump running. It does a much better job also. 

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/analysis-does-turning-the-a-c-off-when-youre-not-home-actually-...




If a rental uses too much electricity 99% of the time the owner didn't set it up properly: no insulation, air drafts around windows and doors, and cheapest shoddy equipment, etc.  

My guest apartment didn't use any extra energy. The entire house including the guest apartment cost on average $120 a month and this is in a state that has one of the highest energy uses in the US.

This is why I would be cautious choosing to rent on Airbnb and this was an issue with the last time I rented a small cabin. It was very hot and humid and no instructions on how to operate the mini split. 

The heat pump version of a mini split cost about $200 more than the AC version but is way more efficient and uses much less energy. But hey its a rental lets install the cheapest more energy intensive option then blame the guest. 

I did get a remote control that can program the min and max temps the guest could set it to. The minimum was 68 degrees for AC and max was 74 degrees for heat. 

[Elisa]

Hi @John5097 😊, 

Thank you for sharing this, it’s really interesting!

When did you find this out? Recently?

[John5097]

Hi @Elisa 

It is interesting! 

I've learned about this stuff over time. Jogging my memory, I learned about heat pumps starting with the first one I got for my house, some 15 years ago. I got several bids from different HVAC companies and the one I choose recombined a heat pump. He even explained that they do best with AC and not heat. I also opted for a thermostat where the humidity level could be set and the system would adjust for that which in the summer its extremely humid here, over 90%, and this brought down the humidity that makes it feel cooler, and is more efficient. That was the first introduction to the the concept that the heat pump having longer run cycles (when it turns on and off) reduces energy consumption, but already also knew that electric motors and compressors draw the most energy when they first start, called a surge, so makes sense that if the system is turning on and off more frequently, aka "cycling" than it uses a lot more energy than it just running for longer durations. 

The most efficient HVAC systems are heat pumps that have longer running times, and mini slits (ductless) have a valve that adjust so they are generally most efficient when running all the time if the space has decent insulation. But if there is no insulation, drafty, then turning it off would use less energy. 

Sorry for all the info but pretty much no one turns off their AC in the summer in hot humid places like Florida. it would be the same as turning off the heat in upstate NY during a blizzard. As if an interior space has higher than a 60% humidity it will all turn to mold. And it gets more counterintuitive, as a larger AC, one that is oversized, will turn on and off so fast, not only will it use more energy but will also not run long enough to extract the humidity and everything turns into mold. This happens a lot and its more cost effective to have the entire AC replaced. 

New houses are so well insulated that they require much smaller HVAC units like half the size of the same size house thats drafty and not insulated well. 

I have lots of friends with all kinds of heating and AC issues. It's so common and so hard to dial it in. One friend's monthly AC bill was three times the cost of mine, and hers was just a two bedroom condo, 1/3 the size of my entire house. I noticed right away that it wasn't running right when visiting, so that's pretty typical for a landlord to install junk equipment, and leave their tennant with a huge bill. 

Thats a lot of info but it takes a long time to learn all this stuff. BTW my electric and gas bill for December was $130 which is pretty average and it was colder than normal with some freezing temps.

But it wasn't long ago I didn't know any of this and honestly it really is a challenge. 

Next time I'm a guest though I'm going to reach out to the host first. If it's supped to be hot enough to need AC then I don't expect to be micromanaged and be subjected to a hot humid place filled with mold. I would rather just go camping (glamping). 

It super hot humid environments though everyone keeps the AC running, even an elderly person struggling to buy food will keep their AC running. 

[Ankit149]

Oh, absolutely, a bunch of guests, I've noticed, are always leaving the AC on for around 24 hours, and then the city is manageable, but it can be significantly reduced. Another thing is when they check out. They do ignore certain checkout instruction such as turning on all electronic appliances, which include ACTB and et cetera, so yeah, the energy serving can be maximised, but I don't know if the guest is busy or it's just not reading through the proper menu 

[Allen443]

Quite impressive