Saving on our heating bill - but how?
We just got our heating + warm water bill for 2017 and we were surprised by what it stated!
Using more heat
In 2017 we used more heat than ever before. We battled a really bad indoor climate and finally got the root of the problem fixed in January 2018, only 2,5 years after we pointed it out and started to complain about it regularly (the joys of being a renter, right?!)
While we knew what the problem was but weren't allowed to fix it ourselves and no assistance was offered we tried to combat the effects of it with frequent airings (at least 2-3 every day) and a lot more heat on. I frequently sat in our home thinking "It's too hot, there's no need for it to be this warm if it wasn't for..."
The bill
With that in mind, we were expecting a big bill. We pay 6000 DKK a year through equal billing and I was honestly prepared to pay at least 1000 more.
The odd thing is, we are getting money back! 199 DKK in fact. This leaves me wondering how on earth that can be the case? We do not have our own water meter but pay some percentage of the building's total use. The building would have to have used significantly less water to make up for the increase we think we have had in heating (we can't read the reading meters, it's just a thing that sends info to the company, nothing is showed to us on it).
I hate being in the dark like this. I don't mind it as much obviously when we get money back, but I want to be in charge of these things. I want to pay for the water we actually use, I want to know how much heat we use and when. I want to keep track. Are you like this too or could you care less?
We have never been much for renting for the very reason of not being able to control our own utility usage and the amount of rent. Sometimes it sounds like the easiest thing to do because the trade off is you are free from maintenance. Are you saving for a place of your own or is this a long time solution for you? Really none of my business, just glad you did get some money back. 🐓🐓
It's absolutely fine for you to ask! We are saving for a down payment and this is a temporary measure. We want a place with a garden, and those don't come cheap here. We are also waiting for me to finish my degree as we don't want to move far away from the university before that.
I call our down payment fund our independence fund and next month when we are paying 199 DKK less on our rent, you can bet that money is going straight into that fund.
Yes I want to know what I am using, what I am always surprised by is when it says I am using more than I thought I did!
are you able to keep track throughout the year?
Yes, I get a monthly bill
if you are paying for heat then you should certainly figure it out
The problem is it's a combined bill and we have no way of checking the figures.
That's not good, you don't want to be on the same meter with someone else. They are probably leaving their windows open. Ask your landlord to install separate meters. And/or look for a new place to live. Is there anything wrong with your apartment that needs fixing? Don't pay rent until its fixed. I lived rent free for almost 2 years and then used the money I saved for a down payment on a house.
Yeah it doesn't work that way here and we haven't heard of a cheaper place to live and we can't afford a more expensive place right now.
We've asked about the meters several times, but there is no interest in installing it.
In theory, I'm right there with you, in practice, it just doesn't work like that here.
that stinks, we have landlord tenant laws here that make it fairly straightforward to withhold rent in the event that the unit is not kept in good repair. where is that?
We have some too, but this does not qualify.
I think it is rediculous that you can't read the meter yourself.
They have been installing "smart meters" here in Canada that send the reading directly to the company but as far as I know you can still read them manually.