[UK] Airbnb Energy Efficiency Actions

[Louise493]

While as a Host I applaud the launch of Airbnb's Energy Efficiency Actions Fund, to collaborate with Hosts to find and support solutions  to preserve energy in our Airbnb homes, I am unsure what Airbnb is doing to educate guests? This is because, for all the will in the world, no amount of 'solutions' is going to stop guests leaving all the lights in the apartment burning day and night, or whacking up the central heating to the max and leaving it on all day like that, while they are out. For example, we recently had a group who lost their key after a big night out, so we drove at 5am in the morning to let them in, only to find the lights on in every room (and they had been out since 8pm the previous evening). In winter, we always arrive to stifling hot houses that have to be aired before they can be cleaned because it's like a sauna in the apartments. We leave signs up asking for consideration re the bills, but most generally don't care, as they are not their bills. (I should add, yes we have installed a spare key box outside the apartment now). I'm just curious to know if other Hosts have any ideas to combat the way guests use our utilities, which are costing us money. We have even considered 'mothballing' the apartments for a few months over winter, which we've never had to consider before. Many thanks, Louise

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Louise493 I have just fitted a lockable cover over the central heating controls in our apartments. The last straw was a recent guest setting the heating at 30 degrees 24 hrs a day. I have added into our rules the following wording. I sort of don't care if it puts guests off as we are better off without guests (ie shut) than with guests burning through energy at a stupid rate.

To conserve fuel the heating will be set between 21 and 22 degrees Centigrade and will be timed to go off during the night and part of the day. It is controlled centrally but please ask for adjustments if necessary.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Louise493 By the way - Where do I read about the Airbnb Efficiency Actions Fund?

[Louise493]

@Mike-And-Jane0 This is so helpful Mike and Jane thank you so much for your response. I was wondering if it was only me that was concerned. And yes, we get the heat whacked up to 30 degrees all day and all night by many, many guests. It's not like it's even that cold at the moment (today currently 21, a rather balmy October). 

I was sent an email by Airbnb inviting me to a webinar early November in which they will be discussing the grants available for Hosts to claim for an assessment of their homes and for the resulting work required, to be carried out. I am presuming things like double glazing, more efficient cladding in lofts, solar power? But my concern is, that's great, but how does Airbnb intend to stop guest from abusing utilities by not being respectful. Here's the body of text from the email:

Dear Louise,

Airbnb is delighted to invite you for an intimate, invitation-only Zoom webinar with Airbnb’s Community Leaders in the UK, a small group of UK Superhosts and club members, to share more information on Airbnb’s Sustainable Hosting Plan. A program that will support UK hosts with up to £3,000 grants to help improve the energy efficiency of their listing and save on their energy bill this winter.

Please join us if you want to hear more about the grant scheme and be the first to register your interest in the Airbnb grant.

[Louise493]

Hi there - here's the text of the email I was sent. I think you should have now received an email from Airbnb (as a UK Host) about the scheme and the max £3k grants? 

The webinar took place and Airbnb has now rolled out the grant to Hosts in the UK. It is for a maximum of £3,000 per host to go towards having things like double or triple glazing installed, solar panels, extra cladding in roof spaces etc. Here is the text of the email I received, apologies there is no link. Hope this helps. 

Dear Louise,

Airbnb is delighted to invite you for an intimate, invitation-only Zoom webinar with Airbnb’s Community Leaders in the UK, a small group of UK Superhosts and club members, to share more information on Airbnb’s Sustainable Hosting Plan. A program that will support UK hosts with up to £3,000 grants to help improve the energy efficiency of their listing and save on their energy bill this winter.

Please join us if you want to hear more about the grant scheme and be the first to register your interest in the Airbnb grant.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Louise493 @Jenny It may be just me but there appears to be radio silence on these grants. I applied on November 12 and was told a website was targeted for end November. Has it been finished and I am being ignored?

Any help welcome.

[Jenny]

Hi @Mike-And-Jane0 

Apologies for the late response on this.

Any information and FAQs about this should be here.

Jenny

[Jenny]

Hi @Mike-And-Jane0 

I might be a bit late to the party here, but if you were wanting to sign up for the grant, you can do so here - as can anyone else in the UK!

Jenny

[Mike-And-Jane0]

Thanks @Jenny . I have already applied and am waiting for a website to be built apparently. Its due later in November

[Eva366]

Hi Louise, do you have a link to share to the form to apply for the energy efficiency grant? I can't find it anywhere! Thanks, Eva

[Louise493]

Hi Eva - it was an Airbnb UK only energy efficiency programme with a £1 million fund to help Hosts in the UK to better insulate their homes. It comes off the back of a real energy crisis here in the UK currently, as a result of the war in Ukraine where our gas supplies have been (and continue to be) disrupted.

The majority of homes in the UK have gas central heating so it's going to have quite an impact over winter, where the majority of Airbnb's have gas central heating (for example, I have it in all 5 of mine) and guests just blatantly turn the thermostat to the highest setting, leave it like that all day and night and when they are warm, instead of turning it down they open all the windows. It's so wasteful and also very costly to us. Here is the text of the invitation I was sent. The webinar took place and Airbnb has now rolled out the grant to Hosts in the UK. It is for a maximum of £3,000 per host to go towards having things like double or triple glazing installed, solar panels, extra cladding in roof spaces etc. Here is the text of the email I received, apologies there is no link. Hope this helps. 

Dear Louise,

Airbnb is delighted to invite you for an intimate, invitation-only Zoom webinar with Airbnb’s Community Leaders in the UK, a small group of UK Superhosts and club members, to share more information on Airbnb’s Sustainable Hosting Plan. A program that will support UK hosts with up to £3,000 grants to help improve the energy efficiency of their listing and save on their energy bill this winter.

Please join us if you want to hear more about the grant scheme and be the first to register your interest in the Airbnb grant.

[Sudsrung0]

@Louise493 

It's definitely a huge problem the guest attitude is I Pay I use,

Here in Phuket our electric went up 300% over the years doing STR the amount of electric that wasted is huge, here we need A/C because of he heat,

I dont mind people having it on but to leave all the windows and doors open is crazy, plus it's not good for the A/C units they freeze up.

I also have a condo which is 57sqm and it has 2 A/C units in there and people have it like fridge complete waste.

Trying to educate the guest to save energy is not easy,

We have some villas and we used to charge extra for electric, you watch when they know they have to pay how they turn everything off,

We were also getting bad reviews over charging but we didnt hide anything even written in the contract they signed on arrival we even read the meter together.

[Louise493]

Hi there - thank you so much for your reply. I know a lot of villa vacation rentals in Europe charge extra for electricity and water which makes total sense. I agree with you that guests who feel they cannot have the heat or cold that they want will leave bad reviews, it's almost like we can't win either way? A previous commentator suggested I buy a Nest system which will allow me to remotely operate, and fix, the thermostat which I am going to look into. 

[John5097]

@Louise493 

You didn't mention what kind of heat you have, but a Nest thermostat has several options that could be useful. You can set the limit for how high or low for AC or Heat can be adjusted at the thermostat, or not allow access to be adjusted, while you can monitor the temp and adjust on the app.  Its pretty neat you can add sensors to other parts of the house and use those to be the desired temp settings and set schedules. For example at night might want to keep a desired temp in the bedroom, and can always see what the temp is at each location. 

I've also tried installing thermostats for LG ductless mini split that also had an option to set temp range limits but both didn't work properly. I put a lot of time into this and contacted manufacture but had too many bugs.

For the mini split my guest just have the remote control and I have a one page instructions that state to keep it no lower than 68 in AC and no higher than 74 in heat. It hardly uses any electricity. In fact my electric bill didn't change at all after installing it. 

Before that I had a basic thermometer and put the sensor in the apartment so could monitor the temp and humidity. I put a label on it "thermostat thermometer" mainly because I wanted to keep the temp comfortable.

Its also extremely hot and humid where I am and if guest left windows open with AC on the units can freeze up. Also don't want guest to turn off AC. While someone from a colder climate might decide to open windows.  

[Louise493]

Hi there - that's really helpful. We had been considering installing Nest. We have gas central heating with a thermostat on the hallway wall, which is just a dial that can be turned up or down manually by guests. I have found other Airbnb users buy plastic lock boxes that are specifically designed to sit over wall thermostats, you set the temperature on the thermostat, and then lock the box, so guests can't use it. But that seems to us a rather 'blunt instrument' and I think would annoy guests. 

The gas boiler in the cupboard also has dials you can manually turn up or down and we always set at medium and guess what? After each stay they've been turned up to max. So now we realise we also need to put a lock on the cupboard door that houses the boiler. So I think Nest might be a better alternative, otherwise we will be turning our properties into rather unfriendly environments with lots of locked areas!