Charging extra for electricity

[Ynez0]

I have a one bedroom apartment I rent out for vacations. I usually charge people for using the electric as here in Mexico, the electric is so expensive, and i only charge a modest fee for my apartment. It also deters people from using it all the time, leaving it on unnecessarily. 

Not one of my guests has ever had a problem with this.

Today, my last two guests felt it was very unfair to have this charged and said I wasn't clear about it at the beginning. I read through the guest book in the casita and it does say they will be charged, although I thought I had made this clear on the listing, apparently not. I only charge this to cover the cost, not to make money. 

Refusing to argue about it, I told them to leave it - despite it being the highest bill ever, since they used the AC almost all the time, leaving it on when they went out. I am a small, sole property owner. As my guest (from London) said 'it's expensive here'. Yes, it is. That's why I can't afford to pay for your electric, when you have used so much.

Their argument was that I was not explicit. I told them I was going to read the meter when they arrived, but they did not understand...nor did they read the guest book in the casita, where it says on the first page how it works...

this is the first time in 16 months that anyone has left my place with a bad vibe. I'm very upset about it as I don't wish them to feel bad, nor me. 

Lesson learnt. Spell it out. Clearly. And then explain again. 

😞

[Elaine701]

@Ynez0 

We are all in the hospitality business. in that respect, an Airbnb is more similar to a hotel than it appears. Hotels are largely what you're competing with.

Excessive electricity consumption is certainly a problem, but guests don't book something expecting to be restricted on technicalities.

So, other hospitality businesses take measures to "guest proof" their accommodations. It's an essential part of the business. 

One way is to get a wifi thermostat (not expensive at all) that you can control with your smartphone , and don't give the guests access to it. Set the Aircon at 22-24°c and tell them if they need it warmer or cooler, you'll be happy to give them a degree either way. That way, you'll know what your expectable costs will be, and just build it into your price (no need for a separate charge, which most guests will perceive as "profiteering"). 

Next, this may be impossible for many hosts, but in areas where  electricity is so expensive, consider investing in solar power enhancement to your regular power system. The costs have come down considerably in the past 5 years, and the cost savings on electric bills can actually pay for themselves in just a few years if your electricity is charged at very high rates.

You're in the hospitality business. Guests aren't interested in how much you pay for electricity, nor how much they use. They're on holiday. They're not thinking about that and won't. And in a hotel, they don't need to. That's your competition.

Guest-proof your accommodation as best you can, and this type of thing will eventually become a thing of the past.

[Mee-Mee0]

I installed a smart home device, such as an IR remote, to turn off the A/C after noticing through the front door security camera that guests leave home without switching it off. In the future, I plan to add a human presence sensor to automatically turn off the A/C when no one is home. I hope this doesn't go against Airbnb's rules.