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

[Gillian166]

@Laurelle3  for us the main source of heating is fireplaces, so we aren't going to charge them "if" they want it. We sort of solved the problem by pre-lighting all the fires but if the fire goes out we've found guests can't work out (or read instructions) on what to do, and they waste so much wood. The season is almost done, but i'll have to rethink what to do next year, perhaps my instructions need to be simplified with big text.... 😆

We have outdoor XL firepits and we charge extra for that (we generally use wood off the property for outdoor fires), and I think we only did 3 in the whole season (the wet and miserable weather helped, haha). We might get a few takers in October as it's finally more pleasant to be outside at night.  Even if guests brought their own wood it's highly unlikely they'd be able to get the bonfire going, nor do they understand it takes an hour to start it and monitor it before it settles down into a decent fire.  

[Ola9302]

Hei @Mariann4 

I'd say the situation is similar, but comming out from a recent election here in Sweden we actually don't know yet if there will be any compensation/subsidies from the government. So far we pay full price. 

I don't expect guests to find it strange to pay for this separately, but I'd love a more clear way to support it from Airbnb side.

[Trude0]

So the new government came with the information yesterday, about subsidies. If I understand correctly, those in the southern parts of the country (incl Stockholm, where I am),  will get a kind of ”refund” for the high prices we have paid the latest 12 months. But no subsidies for the prices we are about to pay in the coming months, I think. Yet - maybe that will come later, too.

I don’t want to be hosting, and then be giving guests lots of instructions, and worry that they will be running the washing machine, dishwasher and heating continuously, with the windows open. I simply keep mid-Dec-Feb blocked in my calendar. It will not be worth it for me, hosting in the coldest months. I would hate every day.

[Gillian166]

@Ola9302  omg! those prices are insane.   I think you might have to instigate a sep charge for energy, as you say, those that want to be irresponsible can pay for it. 

[Sudsrung0]

@Sybe @Gillian166 @Ola9302 

Do you guys think it would do any good writing something in the house rules, about saving energy?

[Gillian166]

@Sudsrung0  maybe, I have something in my house manual about being water wise. I'm not sure people who are paying to stay somewhere are going to be thrilled with the notion of putting on a scarf inside to "save energy", cos that actually means "reduce my bills". Likewise in your situation I imagine a lot of people just aren't prepared for the stifling humidity, and they actually need the a/c on 24/7 just to cope. You might find 25º at night acceptable, but many others won't! Likewise I have people who find 15º at night to be "freezing" whereas we think it's perfect. 

I'm just looking at doing a listing of my home for summer/xmas (30+ days) and i'm wondering if i need to include a clause about energy use, because i can imagine people just running the a/c 24/7 here as well.  

[Sudsrung0]

@Gillian166 

No harm in trying and telling people how to use the A/C 

[Gillian166]

@Sudsrung0  ha, I think i can see a few laminated signs going up around the place. noooooooo lol. 

[Sudsrung0]

Leave one on the pillow @Gillian166 

I'll try to refrain form doing that sometimes we have too

[Ola9302]

I honestly don't think most people will care for a rule about savings. Sorry for my lack of confidence for the human beings, but I'd say 9 out of 10 need to see it in their own wallet before they care.

[Adriano78]

@Mariann4  Hola, here in Spain our government put the VAT for electricity at 5% (before was 21%).

But even with VAT 5% the electricity is overpriced and if we compare the Spanish wages which are very low and the price of electricity, there are many people who will not be able to heat this winter.

The kWh at this moment is between 0.42 euros and 0.65 Euro all depends on the Electrique company.

[Mariann4]

Hello @Adriano78 
They are reducing the green tax up here with approx. 0,004 Euros. And then subsidising the price. Yet our prices are high, up to 0,6 Euros at worst, an hour or two up to 0,8 Euros. But for an hour this morning we were paid to use electricity. It's VERY volatile. My last invoice had me paying an average of 0,2 Euros after subsidies. Our normal price would be around 0,6 - 0,7 this time of year.

It's very hard on many people already. And winter is yet to come.

[Simon3475]

We are currently hosting a family who are leaving the apartment in the morning with the heating left on full. They returned this evening and opened a window. The boiler is oil-fired so very expensive to run. There is a sign in the flat asking guests to turn the thermostat right down when they go out. It's not even that cold here in the North West of England right now. 

Thinking of getting a timer which can only be set to boost heating for an hour at a time. Any thoughts would be welcome. 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Simon3475 we have just purchased lockable covers for the thermostat/controller in our apartments. This means the only way to adjust the heating is by me over the internet. The last straw was a guest setting the heating to 30 degrees.....

[Simon3475]

We've been lucky so far. There's just a thermostat which controls everything. Turn it up and the heating comes on. Turn it down and it goes off. But leaving it on full and going out is just unforgivable. 

The reason in noticed is we live next door and so can tell if the boiler is firing. And they'd asked for some logs for the fire (we don't supply them routinely) so I said I'd leave them a basket in the kitchen when they went out for the day, if they were on with me entering the flat. It was like a sauna. 😳