What are you hosts doing about increasing heating costs and fuel bills?

[Alexandra199]

Hi all you lovely hosts, I wanted to open a conversation about the costs of heating and other fuel costs associated with hosting now that energy bills in the UK are rising exponentially. My bills personally are almost doubling, I suspect the situation is similar around the world. I know some guests will feel that when they go away they shouldn't need to worry about heating costs, but in the current situation surely they cant just ignore the fact that the costs are rocketing for everyone, including hosts. There is, of course, also the climate change issue which no one can ignore.

Does anyone have any tips about how, as hosts, we can ask our guests to be thoughtful about these costs?

What do you guys do to mitigate against thoughtless guests?

How should hosts deal with guests who it appears are taking advantage of the heating?

Would you mention in reviews guests who are thoughtless about the heating? How would you word this? (I know there are some hosts on here who word reviews brilliantly!)

Anyone got some thoughts on this?

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@John2406 Hydrogen is fine but it takes an awful lot of electricity to make it. Until we get more nuclear and wind power it just means more gas will be burnt than before due to the inefficiencies in the conversion process.

We have a biomass boiler to heat our extremely large property but as a significant portion of the wood pellets being imported come (came) from Russia we have seen price hikes of 50%+

There appears to be no way to solve this problem at present.

[Bob1240]

Having reviewed all these comments it has to be for Airbnb to get involved and perhaps include a facility for hosts to surcharge guests who have been profligate. Or perhaps we should charge a heating supplement -returnable to guests who act responsibly.

[Robbie54]

@Bob1240 not sure you can get away with it if I'm honest. Don't get me wrong I'd love to implement something like that but it just won't work, it's too much of a minefield to navigate. 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Bob1240 you could do these things but it would be illegal in England unless you provide the EPC for the property at the point of booking. No idea if Scotland is the same.

[Alexandra199]

I think 23 is excessive but then you if you are living in a hot country you will naturally be used to warmer temperatures. I should add that my cottages all have log burners too so they can be used in the winter to add to the heat. 

I honestly hope this huge increase in energy prices is going to make people think twice about what they use. Heating UK houses to 23 plus degrees is going to be a thing of the past and with the climate crisis I really don't think that is a bad thing. Telling people to reduce their energy use for the planet falls on deaf ears, start charging them and suddenly they make changes. 

[Huma0]

@Alexandra199 

Personally, I agree that 23 is excessive. I used to work for the Energy Saving Trust and we were always trying to get people to set their thermostats to a maximum of 21. For a very well insulated home, or a small, modern apartment, I think you could easily go lower, but then I am British. We don't think it's weird to wear a jumper indoors.

It's not just people from hot countries that have an issue with this (although there are those, e.g. the guy from Florida who demanded I turn the heating on in June because it was raining) but I have found that gets from cooler climates can also have very different views on this.

Almost every German guest I have hosted outside of the summer months has made a fuss about the heating. It's pretty common for them to ask about it as soon as they arrive, even if it's 20 degrees outside. They want it on 'just in case'. Having friends in Germany, I also noticed that it's not unusual there for people to have the heating on 24/7 during October and leave all their windows open at the same time. I have no idea how they can pay their bills. Maybe these price hikes will change this behaviour?

One Russian guest was very surprised that I didn't have the heating on in September (it was pretty warm outside). She told me that in Moscow, everyone automatically put the heating on full on 1st September regardless of the weather. They didn't mind if it got very hot inside because they liked to work around barefoot and in t-shirts. More recently, I had a Polish guest who complained incessantly about being freezing even though everyone else seemed fine and refused to let me check the radiators in his room because he said they were already hot. He also refused extra bedding. I am not sure what he wanted me to do. This surprised me as my Polish friends here in London seem very frugal with the heating.

These were all young people who like to think of themselves as more environmentally aware than previous generations (except for the Russian girl who told me bluntly that in Russia people don't care about that stuff), but it's simply not true. Most of my guests are young and many, many of them only care about the environment if it's no inconvenience to them and doesn't interfere with their lifestyle. 

I am not joking when I say that not a single one of my recent or current guests seem aware that there is an energy crisis and these sorts of price hikes going on, and it's all over the newspapers. They look surprised if I mention it, or just blank. I think you are right that it comes down to cost. Once these young folk are paying their own bills, they will think twice. That doesn't help their hosts in the meantime though!

[Jana27]

I host in Anchorage, Alaska. My heating bills are in the $250-300 range for winter months. Guests from hot climates, southern states are the most difficult to "educate" about heat. I have in my house rules: to not leave windows and doors open in winter; to not use the space heater and have the window open at the same time; to not sit on the back porch with the door open to stay warm outside... seriously. I have a wood stove upstairs and will keep it going for guests upon request (I am in a basement apartment in my house). I could put a lockbox over the thermostat, but I have not done that yet. I have mostly gone to monthly renters in winter because I cannot get the income from airbnb winter rates to make it worth it. My earning months are May to September primarily, when it usually does not snow :).

[Emilia42]

My heating bills are in the $250-300 range for winter months.

That is pretty good. Sounds like you're already doing a good job at conserving!

[Shaun69]

Hi Alex,

Just like you our electric costs have increased massively, average monthly bill is normally about £300 for the four lodges but it has increased to £460. I have taken the unusual step to show our guests the last two bills and ask for their help to control our electricity usage. 95% of guests have reacted positively and are helping by turning unused items off. This honest and open approach seems to be working but I am sure we will come across the exception to the rule before long!

Be Happy Shaun

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Shaun69 what a great idea. My latest panic is whether or not we will be able to get fuel at all once our current supply is exhausted. It turns out that a lot of biomass comes (came) from Russia and unlike gas this seems to be sanctioned now. If we have to move to electric heating our costs would rise ten fold which would pretty much put us out of business even ignoring the cost of buying a load of portable electric heaters.

[Shaun69]

@Mike-And-Jane0  just to put numbers on what is happening at present, we have just signed a new contract with Calor Gas for three years at 50 pence a litre! Believe it or not that is less than I was paying for the last two years! I do not pretend to understand what is going on in the LPG wholesale market at present but if you can avoid natural gas it seems options are still affordable!

Be Happy Shaun

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Shaun69 If my conversion is correct that is about 7p/kWhr or probably 8p after boiler efficiency is taken into account.

[Shaun69]

@Mike-And-Jane0  Sorry but I cannot confirm your numbers, all I know is when costs go down it is a good thing regarding our profitability! We use a combi boiler in each lodge which is fuelled by LPG from a large central tank. Each boiler provides hot water to one shower, one wash hand basin and one kitchen sink, also it provides hot water to three radiators for central heating.

Be Happy Shaun

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Shaun69 So why are your electric bills so high? Do you have LED lightbulbs throughout? If not they would be a worthwhile investment.

[Amanda660]

We had a group of 6 Chinese guests in last week as part of a Scottish Road Trip.  Really lovely group (they were studying in London so used to living in the UK) loved the house, very pleasant and enthusiastic.  

Towards the end of the wee house tour I mentioned recent  fuel prices hikes and asked them to be mindful and to ensure that when the heating was on the windows be kept closed and also when they went out.

I live just across the road and the whole weekend they were out and about until 9pm with the windows open full tilt even though it was only 4° and pouring rain outside.  

When my housekeeper and I went in to clean the place was like a sauna with all radiators on full and every window open with the blinds down.  

I can only guess that they are in student accommodation that includes bills.