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Owning a second home is costly, let alone running a holiday rental. While putting your holiday home up for short-term rent can help to cover maintenance costs, you will inevitably see a spike in your energy bills as the bookings roll in. For this reason, it is incredibly important to consider ways to reduce power costs, which will ultimately result in extra income for you.
Owning a second home is costly, let alone running a holiday rental. While putting your holiday home up for short-term rent can help to cover maintenance costs, you will inevitably see a spike in your energy bills as the bookings roll in. For this reason, it is incredibly important to consider ways to reduce power costs, which will ultimately result in extra income for you.
Below are some tips and ideas from energy saving experts to help make your holiday home more energy efficient, whether it’s empty, or occupied.
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According to renovation expert, Rick Berres from Honey-Doers, the best thing you can do to your home if it’s older is to upgrade your windows. Older windows leak an absurd amount of energy, and modern windows are getting quite cheap for the cost savings you receive.
At this point, you can quickly make your money back off of a set of triple-pane windows, and a very high percentage of the cost of the windows is made up in home value.
Hardy Selo from Property Guru recommends: Set your smart thermostat to vacation mode if you have one so that it is aware that you are away. It will take precedence over your regular daily schedule.
Smart thermostats also let you make adjustments using your smartphone or tablet if your travel plans change. Additionally, you can set it to your chosen temperature on the day of your return to ensure that your house is nice and cosy when you get there.
If your thermostat is a typical model, you can raise the temperature to 25-30 degrees to save money on cooling your home while you're away.
Your refrigerator will have to work harder and consume more energy if you turn it up past 30.
Andreas Grand from Networks Hardware says: Smart appliances are not just a gimmick and can end up saving you money in the long run. They give your holiday home a value for money tag which can also help you get more bookings.
There are smart lights, TVs, switches, and thermostats that will only turn on when necessary.
Some of these gadgets come with an energy usage dashboard so you know exactly how much you are saving or wasting. Then there are devices with motion sensors that only work when someone is around.
Rengie Wisper from Ever Wallpaper says: The sun is an incredible resource, and it's free. If you want to save money on energy costs, try using solar power. You can get solar panels installed on your roof and then use the electricity they generate to power your lights, appliances and electronics.
Solar panels are great because they don't take up much space—they're just a few inches thick—and they don't need any maintenance.. They only need four hours of sunlight per day (which means you can always get enough sunlight even if the weather isn't ideal). And because they're made from durable materials like silicon, they last for decades.
You can even buy a solar panel system that works with an existing electrical grid so that if there's no sunlight available one day or if something goes wrong with your power supply, you won't be left without electricity.
Jennifer Spinelli from Niche Home Buyer says: Your guests can be a big help in saving energy while they are visiting your holiday home. Educate them on how to save energy while they are there.
Let them know about your smart thermostat and how it can save energy. Show them how to turn off lights when they leave a room and encourage them to unplug electronics when they are not using them.
Your holiday home is likely to be in a popular tourist destination, which means that you'll have plenty of opportunities to educate your guests about energy saving tips.
Many people are unaware of how much energy they use when they're on holiday, so by providing some simple tips, you can help them save money and reduce their impact.
Ava Collins at Adelaide Examiner recommends: Switching to LED light bulbs is another simple way to reduce your household's energy costs. Traditional incandescent bulbs are much less energy efficient than LEDs, and they also don't last as long.
You'll be able to reduce your energy costs and replacement expenses as a result. Furthermore, since LEDs produce very little heat, they can aid in keeping your house cooler in the summer. Additionally, they are better for the environment because they don't contain any toxic materials.
Reducing energy costs for your holiday home can take some work and investment. But ultimately it will result in extra income so every bit you can do to save energy will add up in the long run.
Bachcare takes care of the management of your holiday home rental and helps you cover property expenses.
Find out more about Bachcare membership
More info
