🍃[FESTIVAL] Unlocking your thermostat🍃

[Jennifer3225]

The Ups and Downs of Sustainability 

With Felicity Stevens Australia 🇦🇺 @Felicity11  and Jennifer Schnier 🇨🇦 (HAB 2022-2023)

“Unlocking your thermostat can significantly reduce your emissions.”

Highlights

• Trust is already established when you accept an Airbnb booking.
• Unlocking your thermostat will give guests greater control of their space.
• The goal of all hosting experiences is to keep guests comfortable.

Thoughts from Up North  Myth

“I have to keep my thermostat locked, otherwise the guests will jack up the heat”.

Truth

“Not allowing your guests to control the temperature, may mean your hard earned money is going out the window… literally”

Where is the logic in that?

As hosts we welcome guests from international and local areas throughout the globe. What is more is that as hosts we welcome people from various backgrounds, families, ethnicities and cultures.

The old saying, “Different strokes for different folks”, couldn’t be truer when you consider how people sleep, live and regulate their own body’s temperatures.

• Guests for various reasons may choose to have their time in your listing enjoyed by different temperatures than what a regulated (locked) thermostat may provide.

• Some people like to sleep in the cool, and others in the warmth.

• Guests won’t have the choice to turn down the heat or decrease the Air Conditioning if they go out.

• Guests will open the windows if the temperature is not right.. And your energy will go right out the window.

• Guests won’t feel they are truly renting a home, but rather a controlled environment.

Thoughts from Down Under 

Down under we don’t say thermostat we call it air conditioning or central heating. 

Most homes in Australia and New Zealand do not have the capacity to lock in a temperature for heating or cooling so it is up to the guests to switch it on and set the temperature.  For many international guests they may not realize that you do not need to leave the air conditioning or heating on during the day when they are out.  Many people also do not realize that for every degree that you increase or decrease the temperature the impact on your power bill can rise significantly. 

I suggest you leave a note beside the controls with suggested temperatures for the different times of the year and a gentle reminder note beside the front door asking guests to switch this off when they go out.

To help guests feel comfortable do add extra cotton or wool blankets for not just bedding but also to curl up on a couch or chair, to your listing so guests will need less heating or cooling. 

To help retain the heating and cooling efficiency of your home I suggest hosts do the following:

• Add thermal backed curtains and blinds that cover the entire window area
• Ensure your home has been adequately draft proofed. You may like to consider adding rubber window seals to ensure less heat is lost or gained.
• Add floor coverings such as rugs and carpet.  This will help retain the heat and feel nice under foot
• Add ceiling and under floor insulation if possible.
• If you are considering upgrading your  heating/cooling look for the most energy efficient models on the market. 

General tips for improving home efficiency

• Consider the colour of your home and its ability to reflect or absorb heat. In Australia and other warm nations there is evidence to show that homes that have lighter coloured roofs and sides absorb less heat and also help alleviate heat map spots. 
• If upgrading your home appliances consider switching out gas cooking and heating.  Cooking on induction cooktops not only emits less heat into the room and uses less energy but also cuts out harmful gasses that come from cooking on gas.   

What do we want to know from you?

1. Do you guests control the temperature?
2. How do you make sure guests are not too hot or cold?
3. Is there something unique your country does to help guests?

Let us know! Join the conversation.

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Jennifer3225 

We  are all comfortable differently - and our guests being comfortable is key to excellent hospitality. Our guests are in full control of heating and cooling in the guest wing of our house. 

[Jennifer3225]

This is very good news

[Catherine-Powell]

Hi @Jennifer3225 @Felicity11 

This is so important to share. I understand that adjusting a thermostat may seem like a very small aspect of sustainability, but if we all do these small changes, we will have such a global impact.

Many thanks,
Catherine

[Jennifer3225]

Completely agree!

[Felicity11]

Yes the temperature we set our thermostats at can go on to have a significant impact on the bills and emissions we create.    Some times we just need to close a window and put on another layer! 

[Till-and-Jutta0]

In fact, every guest feels comfortable at a different temperature. And this does not necessarily depend only on the geographical origin, but above all on the personal character.

We use a smarthome system: This specifies a time-controlled heating profile. We even have different profiles for business travelers and for tourists (since business travelers usually get up earlier). During the day (when guests are presumably on the road) and at night, the temperature is automatically lowered. And when a window is opened, too.

However, guests can freely operate the thermostat in the room at any time if they feel it is too warm or too cold. At the next switching point, it switches back to the default temperature.

But there are also extreme guests: those who say "Can you please turn off the heating completely?" - "No problem!" And some who still need 25 degrees at midnight. But our central heating can't deliver that, and in some countries (e.g. Italy) it's not even allowed.

By the way, we have generally lowered the default heating temperature, because of climate catastrophe and energy crisis.

[Delphine348]

Thank you @Jennifer3225 and @Felicity11 to open this very sensitive topic.

This fall in France, many hosts had concerns about the raise of energy price and some even decided to close their listing during the winter season.

My listing is entirely powered by electricity including the heating. After 2 years of hosting, I decided to better control the heating because I often found the temperatures set very high during the cold season (beyond reasonable) and was preoccupied by this energy waste along with the extra cost. 

Thanks to a discussion about it on the French Community Center, I discovered that I could add a remote control on all the radiators and program them with an application on my phone (even when I am far away).

I was lucky enough to find a special offer at no cost for me, from our former national energy supplier (still owned in part by the State).

I save energy when the listing is empty and can better adjust the temperatures thanks to the thermostats in each part of the listing. 

I let an explanation note in the listing. 

When they check in, I tell my guests about this remote control and show them the app on my phone.

I explain that my wish is that they feel comfortable and that they can have any temperature they want. They just need to send me a message and I change the temperature accordingly.

Since this new system started (around 12 months), no guests asked to change the temperature, some guests stop the radiator during the night instead of asking me to lower the temperature.

I have saved around 20% consumption without any guest complaint. On the contrary, some guests asked me about this system (and special offer is still on). I share this information as many time as possible with my fellow hosts ! 

About AC,  we have now 2 or 3 weeks each year with higher temperatures than before. The listing is an old cottage with thick walls that keep it fresh as long as guests don't let the doors and windows opened.

There is also electric blinds almost everywhere that help blocking the sun during the hot hours.  And I add standing fans in each bedrooms during summer.

I didn't want to add AC as they are source of high electricity consumption no matter how recent they are. 

I am thinking of heat pump AC though, for the roof level because it is the hottest part of the house. What still make me postponing is that the exterior part of the heat pump AC  is ugly and I can't find a proper place to hide them !  

[Felicity11]

Hi @Delphine348 

Thank you for your wonderful reply about this topic. It is so interesting to hear about the way you control your thermostat and the incentives that are in place in France.    Do you talk about this in your host clubs?  Do you know if many other hosts have taken up this offer it sounds like a wonderful way to keep the home at a comfortable temperature and be able to switch it off when not needed and save on your power bill and emissions that may be created. 

 I understand your reasoning for wanting to postpone installing a AC unit as the external units are not nice to look at.  These days I think people are getting creative hiding these under a deck or porch or on a back wall with pot plants around. 

Hidden air conditioning unit.

[Delphine348]

Thank you @Felicity11 , I shared the word about this incentive a lot and I hope it has been useful for some hosts indeed! 

It's nice when you can find a way to hide the external unit, I have seen commercials on TV about boxes to hide it and it will be my choice because it allows plants on the top of it. Something like this:

[Felicity11]

Ohh @Delphine348 What a great box to hide an Air Con unit - I love it .. the French have so much style! 

[Jennifer3225]

Oh I agree @Delphine348 Love the boxes

[Robin4]

@Jennifer3225 

Jennifer, I think I am probably the hosting trendsetter in controlling guests use of a hosts energy.

A/.......My listing airconditioning is set to operate across a 4c temperature bandwidth only! If a guest wants to be any warmer than 24c (75f) in the winter time or, cooler than 20c (68f) in the summer time.....they won't do it at my expense!

I have my cottage airconditioning operating through one of these controllers......

It can be set to only operate within a set temperature band and is available via this link.....

https://www.airconoff.com.au/Aircon-Off-Smart-Remote-PRO

Okay, that controls what guests will do with my air conditioning while they are on the property.

But as hosts know, guests will be environmental vandals where power consumption is concerned, they will go out all day and leave windows open, air conditioning running. Their reason (apart from being just plain thoughtless) is....."I am paying for it, I will do what I like with it"!

You can't educate these people they don't care, energy consumption is not their problem.....it's yours, the hosts!

Leaving notes, telling them what you want them to do just antagonizes them and is likely to get you a less than stellar review......it's counter-productive!

Well,  I have got that one beaten as well. We live in a marvelous age, and this is a gem!!

https://www.jaycar.com.au/240v-wireless-controller-switch-to-suit-home-automotion/p/LA5575

The guest cottage key is equipped with a remote sender, it's in that yellow pouch.......

and when the guest walks out through the front gate it automatically triggers a receiver which actives the Jaycar wireless controller and, after a 5 minute time-out period, deactivates the power supply to the a/c.

As soon as the guest walks back in through the gate the a/c is automatically re-energised and springs back into action.

The guest might think it's a pretty inefficient heating/cooling system when they enter but within 5 minutes it's up to speed and they forget all about it! 

All my lighting is sensor touch lighting, the shower screen is automated up/down and I try to make the whole place as user friendly as possible.......it all works seamlessly and it keeps me free from large power bills!  With my solar rooftop generation this is where I currently stand with my supplier.....I am $170 in credit.....

That will change now that winter is coming around and that credit will soon be eaten up but I have previously established through my metering that 70% of this property's power consumption was by guests, but by putting in smart control measures I have been able to take that guest consumption down to 35%.....and not one guest has complained that they didn't feel comfortable.

Cheers..........Rob

@Felicity11  @Delphine348 

[Laurelle3]

@Robin4 thank you for the information, after contacting you last time and got now where with local stores last year. I will go a hunting again now that I have pictures and prices. Great! thank you again.

On my way on to saving or protecting my electricity bill and the planet. Unfortunately, you get a bit more sun than us last year with all our rain for the solar credit.

[Amy3326]

@Jennifer3225 

Hi Jennifer 3225 and All,

 Thank you for your suggestions and perspective.  

To answer the questions you pose,  I won't speak for the US, however, I set a steady temperature and do remotely regulate the thermostats in areas that have plumbing.  This includes the kitchen and bathroom.  I live in Vermont, and plumbing comes first in the winter.  This also maintains a steady minimum.  I drop the minimum when the space is vacant and bring it up when I expect an arrival.

Thereafter, I have area heaters in the two bedrooms and a propane furnace in the  living room.  The guests can adjust and use (or not use) the bedroom and living room supplementary heat.  Further, I provide extra blankets in the winter including throw blankets on chairs and the couch.

Similarly, I have a thermostatically controlled air conditioner in the living room in the summer and each bedroom has its own air conditioner.  Guests are fully in control of all three.

I provide instructions for all of this under the topic of "heating, air conditioning and comfort" in the apartment guidebook that I have bound and laminated in the apartment for guests.  I ask that the guest turn off all supplementary heat and air conditioners as well as any lights or fans when they leave.  It's in the guidebook. 

Hopefully, this continues to strike a balance of practicality for me, conservation for the world, and comfort and control for the guest.