Has your Hosting adapted due to the energy crisis?

[Sybe]

Hi everyone,

Wherever you go, people are feeling the effect of the energy crisis and thinking of ways to be more economical. Hospitality is, of course, no exception. Whether you’re thinking about sustainability, smart meters, your amenities or your overall cost calculation, many of you have shared some ideas on how to make your Hosting business work despite rising utility costs, across the CC. I hope we can encourage and collect more here!

Have you made any changes to your listing, listing or Hosting style to be more economically viable?

I hope we can all share some tips and tricks that will benefit all of our wonderful Host community, as we adapt to our ever changing world. 

Thanks,

Sybe

[Robin4]

@Sybe 

This is a very timely thread Sybe, and forgive this post for being so long but I hope my ideas here can be of help to hosts who are struggling with the burden of rising power costs.

Even here in Australia where we are far from the effects of the Ukraine conflict we have been told to expect an increase of 50% in our energy costs over the next two years. This will take the average quarterly electricity bill from $600 to almost $1,000. 

I don't think we can depend on governments and energy providers to get this under control......greed is greed and as long as we keep paying, they will keep increasing our charges!

We have to get smart.

As much as we (in ourselves) might be energy conscious, STR guests are environmental vandals, whatever it is, their reaction is, "I am paying for it I will use it" ! They leave windows and doors open! They will come in at 1.00pm on a 10c afternoon and comment how lovely and warm the cottage is. They will put down their belongings and go out for the afternoon and evening.....but not before winding the a/c thermostat up to 30c so they will have a toasty environment to come back to.

I had a couple from Singapore stay here on a pleasant night, temperature around 18c and they slept all night with the thermostat wound down as far as it would go so they could experience what it is like to sleep with a doona (quilt) on the bed!

we have to be a bit smarter than they are!

Air conditioning, heating/cooling is the most power hungry and wasted facility an STR host can offer so, what can we do to take this wastage out of the guests hands?

1/.......If you don't provide it you are going to be caned by your guests, they want to feel comfortable!

2/......It's no good telling them to be energy efficient, they don't listen or care.

In my working life I was a mechanical services contractor which gives me an advantage, I have taken passive measure to stop guest power wastage.

Electricity is not a big deal for me because with the amount of rooftop solar I have in place, I produce my own power. On a good day I can produce around 56 Kws of electricity but every Kw a guest wastes is a Kw I can't export back to the mains and get paid something for, so, here are my solutions!

1/.......If a guest wants to be cooler than 66f (19c) in the summer time, or hotter than 75f (24c) in the winter time.......they won't do it at my expense.

I have supplied a generic a/c thermostat and I have doctored the a/c  temp sensor so that it will only work within a 5c temperature range. It will not cool below 19c on cooling and it will not heat any further than 24c on heating......no guest has ever complained and running costs are acceptable in this temperature range. This control is sold universally and the whole thing cost me less than $30AU to supply and alter. 

2/......When a guest enters a hotel/motel room their key activates the power to that room....and stops the power when they leave and take their key with them.

Using this logic I have created a sensor mechanism that control the power to the a/c by the guests movements.

The cottage key has a transmitter attached to it.....

it's embedded in that leather key pouch. When the guest walks out past the front gate a timed sensor on the gate deactivates the a/c power circuit and the air con turns off 10 minutes after they leave!

When they return through the gate the sensor re-actives the power and the air con starts running again.

Some guests have said they expected the cottage to be warmer but, once I explained what happens they accepted my reasoning and the cottage heats up or cools down in less than 10 minutes so it's no big deal.

3/......To control the radiant heat in the bathroom I have the strip heating connected to a pneumatic push timer switch which can be set from 1 -30 minutes. I have it set for 10 minutes. Each push of the button will give 10 minutes of heat.

The guest can have as many 10 minutes blocks of heat as they like.....at least I know, 10 minutes after they leave, the heating will turn off.

So, energy is not a big deal for me. For most of the year it costs me nothing and I would advise hosts to follow these examples if they find their power costs getting out of hand.

I haven't put my listing price up for 3 years but, I haven't felt the need to.

Cheers.........Rob

@Mike-And-Jane0  @Laurelle3  @Gillian166  @Simon3475 @Mariann4 @Adriano78 @Ola9302 @Sudsrung0 

[Sondra55]

Wow, Robin- this is an awesome set up you have at your home to control energy costs. I wish I had your engineering background! How did you doctor the remote controller, and do you know if this is possible for a wall thermostat that controls a propane-fueled hydronic baseboard heating system?

Sondra

[Paula]

Hi @Sondra55, I agree with you; this is a great setup! I am tagging our amazing Host @Robin4  here to see if he can share some additional info based on your question. This post was from 2022, so who knows what might have changed since then (almost a year ago) 😊

[Robin4]

@Sondra55 

Hi Sondra, sorry for the delay in responding to you, if you want to bring something to another contributors attention you need to 'tag' them.

To do this hit 'Reply' as you did to bring up a text box and then simultaneously  hit the 'Shift' and the @ keys. This will bring up an option box with the contributors to that particular post. Pick out the contributor you wish to respond to and, tap their tag. That will bring your post to their attention straight away. Hope you can follow that Sondra.  

I didn't have to 'doctor' the remote control Sondra they are supplied as a settable thermostat. The easy instructions that come with it allows you to pick the temperature limitations you would like to set for both heating and cooling. 

This is the device as it is sold in Australia from any electronics store or online.....

I am sure this device would be available in the US. A quick check of Amazon did not bring it up but, if you email   info@airconoff.com.au  I am sure they would be able to put you in touch with a supplier in the US.

As far as other types of HVAC there is a simple circuit that can be added to the control board that allows for similar bandwidth restrictions. Once again I can only speak for availability in Australia but this is the circuit board I am taking about...... Click on each image to magnify!

And if you want a system you can program wirelesly then this is the one that I use........

If you show either of those to any competent electronics supplier they should be able to offer you something similar.

Cheers.......Rob

[Nigel247]

This is a useful topic Sybe. As a guest I have just returned from a two week stay in Spain. My host listing under Things to Note said bookings over three weeks attract an extra energy charge, but under the House Rules it said this charge applies for two week stays only. This is obviously confusing.

My host then texted me the night before my trip to confirm I would be charged extra for two weeks and I had to pay €100 cash on arrival as a “deposit” for electricity charges and that I would be refunded the difference if my final electrical bill was less than this, but would pay more if it exceeded €100. 
I asked for an estimate of how much my electricity might cost me but my host said she did not know, nor could she give me a cost per unit of kWH and I had to wait until the end of my trip to get a bill from her supplier. My host sent me a screenshot of her suppliers bill, it was €80, quite a lot considering we never used the air con, heating, washing machine and only a few hours tv. My host then sent me €20 refund via Resolution Centre although I did ask for my €100 cash to be returned and for the €80 charge to be invoiced to me via the Airbnb payments platform. This request was refused. Although I have had cordial conversation with my host on these matters she feels that her policy is good and I am just being difficult?

I think the above situation is at best very confusing. The price I paid for my booking was very clear and included a two week price discount but in the end this was not true as I paid extra for electricity! All I want as a guest is clarity and I am very happy paying for extras if they are clear and up front.

So, a few final points: Can a host charge extra for two weeks when another part of her listing says this only applies after three weeks? Do Airbnb rules allow a host to charge these extras in cash and outside their payment platform? Do you agree that guests ought to be given an idea of likely energy costs and price per kWh in advance and not be presented with an unknown bill at the end (I would not eat at a restaurant that had no prices!)?

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Nigel247 Very simply a host should not charge for anything that is not made very clear in the listing. They are also not allowed (unless they are a big corporate  host) to take money outside of the Airbnb system.

Also, in England, it is not allowed to charge for heating unless the EPC of the property is supplied.

Finally I would never book a place with unknown energy costs.

[Nigel247]

Thanks Mike and Jane, very helpful. I wished I had spotted the other House Rule that mentioned the charge for two week stays but I did not otherwise I would have challenged it before I left and not paid the €100 cash, albeit I was given a receipt for this. It also strikes me that if a host just passes 100% of the energy costs onto their guests what incentive is there for them to invest in smart meters, more efficient appliances and other energy efficiencies? I suspect our biggest energy cost was having to boil a tin kettle on an antiquated ceramic hob! I appreciate there are abusive guests who waste energy but hosts need to do their bit too and having a rating for the energy efficiency of their apartment makes sense.

is there an easy way or email address at Airbnb that I can use to make a complaint? Thanks 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Nigel247 there is no easy way to complain to Airbnb. Their UK phone number is 02033181111 but if it was in the rules then the host hasn't done much wrong. You may well get them suspended but that feels a bit harsh.

Have you left them an honest review?

[Nigel247]

Many thanks again, no I have not submitted a review but will do and look to make it as balanced and reasonable as required so that other guests are aware. My host manages about 12 properties so perhaps that gives them additional charging rights but I agree that in my reading of the rules this does not extend to an energy charge which, after all is inescapable and not an optional charge…you cannot rent for two weeks without using electricity!

[Gillian166]

@Nigel247  There's always the risk that ABB will put on a surcharge on extra fees, I don't know when they do and don't do it, but the reason to pay cash is to avoid that extra 14~17% fee, that's probably why she did it that way? 

This whole situation is new for everyone, but I don't understand why she doesn't know the kw/h fee, that's on her bill, and she should know the daily approximate fee, even based on autumn pricing. This is all on the bill. I agree with you that you should be given an estimate, but this is new territory for everyone. I just wouldn't book with someone who had this set up, and frankly they should just increase their prices instead. Our cottage is now $9/day in electricity fees (and we have firewood too), I put my prices up by $10. Easy. 

[Mike2791]

Hi

I have posted on this item a month or so ago on another thread. There is in my view a growing issue that AirBnB is not grasping on energy costs. The bottom-line has two elements - firstly as a host I guess we all want to create a positive stay experience. The second element is the 'principle' that people value and tread with respect what they pay for. When energy is provided free - then frankly in far too many cases it is abused. I could list pages of abuses - lights on all day when out, windows open with heating on, heating up to max - it just goes on. I wager that not one 'abuser' does this in their own home, so why should they do it when I am funding/pricing in their energy.

I get the helpful comments about insulation etc - sadly some of us offer stunning places that cannot e insulated as local laws protect the features of the property - so there is a large element of having to adapt to the property -  which means in winter walking about in shorts and a t-shirt is not really an option.

A section that allows for energy pricing is a must I suggest as I have had guests who have caused me to make a massive loss on their stay as they have burnt gas and electricity like they are completely unaware of the energy prices, crisis and global warming - they just do not care.

Options seem to be - a core heating price inclusive - extra the guest pays for - ie heat the home to 20deg - if they want to live at 30deg then they pay. Have pre-pay meters so guests pay after a host starter top-up. Allow for energy surcharges in the booking as airlines do - so seasonal pricing can reflect the economic reality - plus I return to the climate issues - if people have their pockets hit - then then will change behaviours.

Regrettably - after months of talking items through, leaving helpful notes, showing people how the controls work - 60% plus just could not give a hoot - as they are not paying the bills.

[Debbie1109]

I am finding the rise in energy cost very worrying especially with regard to hosting Air bnb guests .

I heat my home for two to three hours a day and wear thick jumpers to compensate.

I let out one double room with private en-suite. I charge £40 per night and receive £38 after Air bnb take their cut.

my current guest intends to stay in all day tomorrow and work at the desk but if I heat the house all day for her, I will barely make a profit.

I will now not take any more guests until the warmer months as it is not profitable.

The concept of Air bnb has certainly changed since it’s original inception

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Debbie1109 very sensible approach - until every prices reduce its just not worth hosting in Winter unless you perhaps make it clear the house is only heated early morning and evening so only suitable for those out working or sightseeing.