Utilities (power, gas, water, internet) usage - Australia

[Jenny96]

Hi everyone,

I'm in Perth, Australia. I've been a host for a few years, and recently I've started letting my entire house out via Airbnb (I used to rent out rooms only, but recently moved out and can let out the entire house).

I've noticed that of late, guests have been using an awful lot of power, and I can't quite pinpoint whom/when this took place. I'm pretty certain that it's because they leave the A/C on when they are out and about, all through the day (and night).

Synergy (electricity), Alinta (gas) and WaterCorp (water) seem to be unable to provide reporting on utilities usage  on a daily basis (only amounts used per billing period), so I'm curious what other Australian hosts use to gauge utility usage? Internet is fine as the reporting provides daily breakdowns, but that seems to be the only provider I can get usable reports from.

Also, how do you enforce guests to not leave appliances on when they're out? I have it in my house rules, manual and labels around the house, but guests seem to do what they want, without consideration for consequeuences (i.e. usage charges).

I don't really want to raise my prices as it seems quite competitive at the moment (thanks airdna!) but I would like to be able to address with guests if they are using excessive amounts of a particular utility.

Thanks in advance for your input!

[Teresa-And-Chris0]

Hi,

We rent out our basement apartment and when we are booked consistently, our utility bill is double.  We also have signs and notices to turn off fans and lights, etc, when out.  Regardless, when I go down to clean between guests, I almost always find the A/C on, and all the fans on.  At this point I figure that one night pays for the extra utilities.  

It turns out that many guests treat airbnb like a hotel.  They figure they are paying for the space so they run the power like they are at a hotel.   I have guests who take the shampoo and conditioner, the big bottles I leave for the guests.  I feel like airbnb is not a hotel situation.  You are using a person's home and consideration should be given to clean up after yourself, conserve energy, etc, as you would in your own house. 

There is really no enforcing a rule to turn off lights, etc.  It is hard to know who will be a great guest or not.  Still, you can raise prices a little to try to compensate for the energy useage.  I do not charge a cleaning fee but I do see that some spaces have large cleaning fees that people seem willing to pay.  Maybe adding a charge for cleaning would be a good way to offset the utility fees.  I feel your pain.  It is hit or miss with guests and even with reviews, there is no way to really know how they will be.

[Sandra126]

This is why I make far less money in winter, as guests have the heating to anything between 21-26 degrees. Never below 21. So it goes all the time, and I am not worried about it, it is a big part of my running costs. But because of this, I have no permanent aircon as I have had that before and I know what it means. Even if cool outside, windows will be shut to the gorgeous breezes and the aircon going full blast. Guests want to be comfortable their way, and they have paid. You might have to increase your prices, or have two prices, no aircon and yes aircon. Can only be achieved if aircon is ruled by remote, as you can keep the remote elsewhere.

[Ed-and-Hugh0]

@Jenny96 Consider getting a smart thermostat. You can lock in a max and min range of temperatures. You can set timers to turn the A/C on or off. They can detect when the space is unoccupied and turn the A/C off when no one is home.

Also consider using LED lighting which uses very little electricity.

[Jenny96]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and input! @Ed-and-Hugh0 & @Nancy67 thanks for the smart thermostat suggestions too, this seems to be the biggest issue for me as I have already replaced all bulbs with CFs and LEDs where possible. And yes, winter is when it hits the hardest, due to guests running the reverse cycle A/C all day and night at 30degC (when it's 16 degC outside), even though it's meant to only heat the open space common areas instead of the entire house.

I guess I'm just frustrated that in this day and age with the IoT being a big deal and big data can be used for so many amazing purposes, that the service providers won't allow me access to use my smart meters as I would like to.

[Stan-And-Juris0]

We were in the same predicament three days ago, glad they've checked out.  We have two ACs, one in the bedroom and one in the living room, and a tower fan.  They were turned on all the time when our last guests were here (we know because we can hear the a/c out in the backyard) even when they were out.  Called BnB, she told me to talk to them in a positive tone...I caved in, was afraid to get a bad review or get into a discussion...we just couldn't wait till they leave.  The reservation was for 5 nights.  When they left, they said they'll give us a good review because they really liked our guesthouse, etc.  We've submitted our review a day after they left, we haven't gotten their review as of today.  I texted this morning to remind him, and know that my message came through but no reply.  He has been a member since 2012 but no reviews.  I am afraid that maybe he is the kind that doesn't do reviews 😞

When they left, I added this concern in the house rules, to include use of a/c and heater (that our a/c and heater are not industrial/commercial grade, so .....), hope guests could be more considerate.  I was gonna open it here in the forum but didn't get a chance.  Thank you also to those who commented, got some ideas.

[Nancy67]

If you use an Iphone, you can purchase a NEST smart thermostat. There is support for them where you live and cost about $250 US. They also have carbon Minoxide and smoke detectors plus cameras that give you full control of the house from anywhere from your phone. 

The programming is easy-- it will make your big fat hosting life easier and cheaper to run-- plus it just looks cool hanging on the wall.

[Taryn4]

We put in our house rules the temp min and max.

Two broken AC parts (and very high electrical bills) and we decided to get a smart thermostat. 

We have the EcoBee3. It will alert us if too high/too low and also has sensors if they are there or not (and can adjust itself to presets). 

We're working out a few kinks, mostly education of guests > turning it down way lower does not help it get cooler faster. Etc. 

We also added a fee if they turn it down below X (in house rules) and that if the AC breaks it's their responsibility (and they know we can see this). Since then, not a single violation! Money seriously well spent.