When starting a business, one of the first objectives is to reduce costs in order to earn more revenue. Management of holiday apartments is no exception. Saving on your home rental is fundamental, and energy optimization plays a key role. Put another way, you have to reduce your renters’ energy consumption so you pay less for your electric bill. The great news is that its easily done through tiny changes that will even improve your guests’ perception of you. In a world of increasing environmental awareness, taking steps to protect the planet is a point in your favour when visitors choose a holiday property.
Electricity
To achieve energy optimization in the management of your holiday apartment, the first thing to do is choose the proper electricity tariff. Compare offers from various companies and keep in mind that electricity is cheaper at certain times of day. But the main thing is to ensure that the amount of electricity contracted corresponds to what you really use in your home. Choosing more than you need, besides serving no purpose, can increase your bill quite a lot.
To save in tourism rental management, it’s also fundamental to take advantage of natural light. It’s a free source of energy, abundant in Spain, and highly valued the world over by travelers choosing a tourism destination. Lodging Management gets the most out of it by distributing your furniture so that light reaches every possible corner, painting the walls light colours, and cleaning the windows often, among other tasks. Our interior decorators ensure that not only does your apartment look perfect, but your guests put off turning on the lights until late in the evening.
Another important factor is the choice of bulbs and lamps. Though they cost a bit more up front, investing in low-energy-consumption bulbs, like fluorescents or LEDs, produces savings of up to 80-90% in the long run! And as a bonus, these bulbs last far longer than regular ones.
Air conditioning
When summer begins to pound and brings a heat that most visitors aren’t used to, air conditioning can cost almost as much as another guest if it’s on all the time. To guarantee energy optimization in the management of your tourism apartment, you should buy a highly efficient unit and always place it in a shady area. To encourage responsible use, place signs in various languages recommending that the air conditioning not be set at less than 24 degrees in the summer, nor the heating at more than 21 degrees when it’s cold. And to ensure optimal use, no matter the season, you also have to make sure that the unit has no cracks or fissures, and install weather strips or silicone in the windows to improve the insulation of your home.
Truthfully, the best choice is to use the air conditioning as little as possible. To achieve that, try installing ceiling fans, an option that combines elegance and functionality.
Appliances
To guarantee energy optimization in the management of holiday apartments, major appliances like refrigerators and the washing machine are also key. As they consume lots of energy, we recommend that when you buy them you check out their energy consumption sticker to know whether or not they are efficient. Currently, there are two types of distinctions:
- The traditional sticker: now in the process of being replaced, it establishes categories between A (subdivided into A+++, A++, A+, and A) and D, from lowest to highest consumption. Ideally, your appliance should have an A+++ rating.
- The new sticker: it eliminates the subdivisions of A and the scale goes to G. In this case, your appliance should be an A.
Like the bulbs, the more ecological models are more expensive, but they save you money in the long run. If you need to be convinced, pay attention: using appliances that have the highest levels of energy efficiency can save you an average of almost 500 Euros per year!
At Lodging Management, with our nearly 15 years of experience in the management of tourism apartments, we’re delighted to share our knowledge with you and make energy optimization an opportunity for savings that you shouldn’t let pass you by. If you’re interested in more specific information about how to earn income from your rental apartment in a sustainable, environmentally-friendly way, read this blog post as well.
