Heating in August?

[la vache!]

There are certainly already things we are considering adding for next year, (Susan's abri over the pool being a good example!), so at least we haven't become complacent.

Judith

If you do get one Judith, I'd definitely recommend the motorised one or the one on wheels as opposed to the one that lifts up although they are considerably more expensive. Mine is really heavy and not easy to manoevre alone (luckily I'm quite strong). It isn't a really high one, but it has a door hatch and when it is shut it is fine for swimming underneath, wonderful when it is raining and you are under the cover. And it really saves on the heating and extends the swimming season (if you want that!).

[Guest3]

Partridge said

...Now remember the motto 'Owners who care', anyone imho who charges for logs/electric after the event for inclement weather cannot put themselves in that category and I for one would be very cross.

'Inclement' weather can mean from one extreme to the other...extreme cold...or heat wave. I remember going on holiday to Crete and having to hire room fans at an additional cost because of a heat wave. We paid for the fans (didn't moan about the extra cost) and had extra comfort at night.

When we first started renting we included electricity in the rental. We would take a reading on arrival and departure to work out the electricity consumption on each booking.....until we received extortionist electricity bills because guests were not energy conscious....i.e. leaving A/C units on and going out for the day (as we discovered many a times on linen changes). One lot of guests used 1 months worth of Kw's on a 2 week stay (and my electricity bills are bi-monthly!)

GG said

Anyway, charging extra for heating is a bit of an administrative nightmare isn't it?

True....but only if you own an apartment as electric meters are housed in a locked compartment in apartment blocks. However, if you have a detached property then there should be no problem as every detached property has it's own meter.

We now allocate a generous electricity allowance per week. Luckily we are 'on site' so to speak and take a meter reading on arrival and departure and any usage above that is chargeable. Seems a fair way of dealing with electricity consumption as it gives guests full control of how much cold/heat they want to use.

[Partridge]

Ok Crystal, fair points. That's what I love about this place (or is that hate), just when I think I have things straight in my head, another point is raised and I am no longer as sure

[la vache!]

I still think that in August, when guests are paying peak prices, the least you can do is offer some heating for a few days to make their stay more pleasant. It doesn't cost a lot, it makes them feel comfortable and you have happy guests. Even if you instigate BP's rule, they are hardly going to surpass the allowance in August.
What you do with heating in the winter is a different matter, we are really talking gestures of goodwill for unseasonal weather. I know my guests have been very grateful and I'm happy to sacrifice a basket of logs and the cost of running the odd radiator in order to have happy guests in this miserable weather.

[Partridge]

Boing, back to the other side !!! thanks LV, that's what I meant

[fincafern]

Hola Bagpuss !
I saw the huge, black rain clouds hovering all over your area from my roof terrace yesterday and thought, someone's in for a soaking ! Sorry it was you.
Our neighbours children were down your way at the time of the impending tempest and were drenched to the skin soon after. They had to buy new clothes because the rain was sooo torrential - almost monsoon like.
They said there was flooding in places.
We only had a few drops unfortunately, but I didn't want as much as you must have had - just a wee bit to relieve me of my incessant, twice a day, watering the garden duties !
I can't remember it raining like this here in August and the temp. has definitely dropped a bit this week.
Commiserations to those of you in France - my guests have told me how bad it has been where they live. I had thought only UK had been so badly hit but my Parisians said they have rain every 2 days for ages.

[Big Sis..]

Hi All ..

Good points all round I feel which is as Party says it makes you consider different points of view..which is surely what a Forums should be about..
I do think Crystal has a good point as her price structure including the electric allowance was plain to see before her guests booked, so if people didnt want somewhere with this structure [and reading her posts I realise why she decided to do this]they wouldnt have booked with her......
If she didnt have this in place in my mind she would have to charge more than she is at the moment, to cover the odd person who abuses the electric supply which means that all the normal careful guests would be paying more as well as the electric Guzzlers....
Its just that I personally would feel awkward charging people for using the heating on these unprecedented cold days in August.If this hadnt been covered in the rental notes before they booked...As someone else said it is peak rates as well that are being charged...
But everyone is entitled to do what they feel is right for their own property[and guests] of course ....

[gh]

Its just that I personally would feel awkward charging people for using the heating on these unprecedented cold days in August.

Since Saturday we have two couples, each with a little baby under 12mths, one off them born in June staying at ours, well under occupied their choice, they are paying our peak rate. They didn't ask for logs we asked our caretakers to go round with the key of the wood shed, telling them to help themselves.

Its such a shame the weather is so bad this summer. BP agree with you about AC abuse, can be a big expense, we offer it as an extra, our old farmhouse is cool inside during the heat which is good for the guests, however, will feel cold inside with this un-seasonal weather especially for little babies.

We used to leave our logs behind a wall under a tarp, that is until guests started to use it for the BBQ.

Helen

[Guest3]

Our AC units have hot and cold facility and we also provide oiled filled radiators in every room. I would never begrudge guests staying in my property to be in discomfort.

As I use the free electric allowance system..and if we did have unseasonally cold weather during peak season, then I would naturally increase the free allowance to accommodate the weather conditions and provide a complimenatry bag of wood for the wood burning stove. Using this system makes guests realise prudent usage shouldn't run into an extra charges...e.g. leaving the heating and lights on and going out for day (flip side to leaving the AC on ).

The band and tariff charges for electricity for our property is second to highest (because of the size of the property). The whole villa is electric so giving guests free license to use as much electricity as they wanted would be shooting myself in the foot!

Just the way I would handle the situation as it is works for me. Good debate though

[Guest3]

I saw the huge, black rain clouds hovering all over your area from my roof terrace yesterday and thought, someone's in for a soaking ! Sorry it was you.

Hola Fincs!...Yes we did get a good soaking yesterday! Never saw people clear a beach so fast and in record time too! I can't ever remember it raining like this in August either, so maybe this global warming is slowly starting to affect us too!

[Normandy Cow]

The man who runs the mini golf was telling us that although rainy days are not unheard of around here, he has never ever known such a sustained spell of bad weather, and certainly not so cold in August! (It's still miserable around here btw)

He also told us that apparently a large number of beaches on the Med coast (France) have had to be closed because of the bad rainstorms that have washed loads of sewage back onto the beach.

Does anyone know anything about this?

[Leo2]

Hello there
Haven't been on line for a while as this year has not been a good one for various reasons, nothing to do with my gite - last straw is that the combine's engine blew up, but that's another story.
Reason I'm here is to ask for advice. My poolman has just mailed to say that my guests say they are cold and want the heating on. I do know that south Charente is rainy today but my cleaner said that when she went in the house on Thursday it was very warm with the shutters closed for cool. Its a large old farmhouse (with thick walls which cool down and warm up slowly.) She says she has a long sleved T-shirt on today. Although I sent them contact numbers for myself and my cleaner , and they are in the info folder,they said to the poolman that they didn't have a number and gave him theirs. I don't really budget for heating in the summer - I only let for 6 weeks a year. Should I tell them how to turn it on and ask for extra money? This is a 4 bedroom, large open plan living area- altogether 250m2 - so expensive to heat. What do you think I should do - will bide by general consensus.
Many thanks
Mandy

Hi Mandy I had a look at your website.

copied from your website!
General: linen provided, towels provided, central heating
Kitchen: dish washer, freezer, fridge, grill, hob, microwave, oven, washing machine
Living room: fireplace, living area seating for 8 people

Surely if you state on your website as above that the house has central heating ,then that that facility should be available without your guests having to persaude you.
[/b]

Kind regards
Leo

[remote]

Hi Leo
You're absolutely right, it's just that I'd invisaged that guests in September might need to make use of it, not August. If you look back to page 2 you'll see that I rang and told them how to work it. My guests didn't have to persuade me, I was just interested in what everybody had to say on the subject. It has never occured before and as the party consists of 7 adults and a nine year old I suppose I was slightly anxious about the let anyway. ( I have since been reassured that they are very pleasant) We are talking about 11 radiators here ,which if they have on continuously uses up a hec of a lot of oil! The weather being so changeable I was a bit concerned that if it gets warm that they will just open the windows and leave it on. Of course I wouldn't want them to have an incomfortable holiday. I've thought that next year I might mention an additional heating charge for August when I send out the details. It might alert to the advisability of bringing jumpers.
Jumpers in August, whatever next!
Mandy

[Hells Bells]

Heating should not be extra, unless agreed in advance. It is normal to charge extra during winter, and for longer lets, but for an odd occasion in summer? You are charging £1200 per week for this property. I think it is a bit tight-fisted to ask extra for heating. If you decide to charge extra, it should be charged to everyone. Even if they put the heating on, it wouldn't cost anywhere near as much in August as in January.

[remote]

Hi Helen
As I think I have already mentioned, it is a large property and costs the same to heat whatever the time of year. All I want to do is to make people think twice about turning it on in August when they could just put on a long sleeved T-shirt. My charges are in line, and actually cheaper than similar properties. My outgoings are considerable because of the size of the property and the fact that I am not resident there.
Mandy