Tax For Furnished Holiday Lets | Expert Advice from PFK Francis Clark
If you are looking for important information about holiday homes and tax, we’ve teamed up with Steve York, Tax...
by Janine de Lange / Owner
Across the country, people are becoming more environmentally conscious; locally sourced food, safer cleaning products and in some cases, altering their lifestyle choices. This has created its own type of market, eco-tourism. As a result, many are considering how to make a holiday home eco-friendly.
It doesn’t necessarily mean huge changes are needed in order to be classed as an eco-friendly holiday cottage. In this blog, we have highlighted a few small changes you can make to help protect the planet and save money while doing it.
Appliances like fridges, freezers, microwaves, washing machines, tumble dryers and dishwashers are traditionally the biggest energy consumers in any home. By investing more in their efficiency, it is possible to generate considerable savings with these products over time.
When the time comes to replace an appliance, look for A+++ energy ratings. The benefit of having ‘green appliances’ is the focus on energy efficiency.
It’s also important to get an appliance that’s the right size for your property and the number of guests you cater for. As an example, a washing machine with a family size drum in a property which sleeps two will waste energy. As would too small a machine in larger occupancy property.
Where possible replace traditional and halogen lightbulbs and switch to energy-efficient light bulbs.
LED lights use 75% less energy to deliver the same amount of light! They last 25 times longer and use less electricity, saving you up to £50 per year on energy.
There is a lot you can do to make your holiday homes heating system more energy efficient. In turn, saving yourself money on your energy bills, as well as reducing your carbon emissions.
According to the Energy Saving Trust, a quarter of heat is lost through the roof of an uninsulated home. Adding insulation to a property’s loft, attic or flat roof is an effective way to reduce heat lost and lower your heating bills too!
The average household spends as much as 50% of their energy bill when heating and hot water. So, having an efficient heating system is important.
An inefficient boiler can cost a lot of money and unnecessarily waste energy. It pays dividends to make sure your boiler runs optimally and only uses as much energy as necessary to heat your holiday home. Read our guide to boiler maintenance for your holiday let for more information.
Heating is the biggest consumer of energy in your holiday home. It can be easy to waste energy, particularly in the winter months by leaving your heating on for longer than necessary.
You can prevent wastage by fitting timer controls which allow you to control and monitor your energy usage.
If you have a smart thermostat fitted in your holiday let, you’ll be able to control the heating from your mobile device remotely through apps such as Nest or Hive. No more worrying about guests leaving the heating on when they depart or frozen pipes!
Even little fixes around the home can mount up to significant savings in your energy bills and reduce your holiday homes carbon footprint. We advise good quality, well lined curtains and blinds to keep the heat in and cold air out.
They are also a useful security measure against prying eyes when your holiday home is not let too. Covering any hardwood floors with cost effective and stylish rugs help to keep your holiday home warm.
Many guests are opting for a more sustainable way of travel and investing in electric and hybrid vehicles. Electric vehicles help reduce the amount of carbon emissions that are directly linked to climate change.
By providing an EV charging unit at your holiday property, you are encouraging eco-friendly living and awareness as well as providing an incentive for environmentally aware guests. Catering for this ever-increasing number of electric vehicle drivers by providing a charging point will not only increase your eco-credentials, but give your holiday let greater appeal.
There’s an emerging market of eco-friendly products offering environmentally friendly solutions to a variety of household needs. Natural cleaning products can be just as effective as harmful chemical ones which are bad for the environment and your guests.
As well as costing less and being kinder to the environment, natural, softer products also help guests who might suffer with allergies or respiratory problems.
Reduce the amount of plastic used by buying reusable and refillable containers. Invest in products with eco-friendly packaging or are compostable. There are endless solutions to a variety of household needs.
Guests on holiday generate waste just as they would at home. Every local authority enforces slightly different rules on exactly what can be and cannot be recycled. Provide clear, easy-to-use recycling instructions to help guests recycle during their stay.
Clearly label your bins and containers to encourage your guests to use them. Leave details about bin collection days. For more information about waste collection in your area, please read our Cornwall holiday home waste collection guide.
Using less water saves energy and infrastructure costs. There are plenty of ways to save water. Take the time to fix any leaks or dripping taps. Help your guests conserve water by fitting low-flow shower heads and aerators to taps.
If your property has a garden, why not consider collecting rainwater via a water butt, which can be used to water plants throughout the year.
Choosing renewable energy sources for your holiday homes electricity and heating is a great way to make your make your holiday home more sustainable, potentially lowering energy costs.
There are new and efficient technologies available that can help reduce net emissions, creating a cleaner world. Renewable energy, or ‘green energy’ can be generated by solar power, solar heating, heat source pumps and wind energy. Solutions already exist for more than 70 per cent of today’s emissions. In many places renewable energy is now the cheapest energy source.
Sustainability is becoming an important part of everyone’s lives.
Explain to your guests about what you’re trying to achieve with a short message in your welcome folder. Offer your guests various information and instructions on how they can help the environment during their stay.
For more information on creating a welcome folder, see how to put together a guest information folder for your holiday home.
Marketing your property as eco-friendly will provide another unique selling point and could help you break into an emerging sector of the holiday of the market.
A third of holiday let owners have identified that there are benefits to installing eco-friendly features such as electric vehicle charging points and heat pumps within their property in the next five years. *
It only takes a few adjustments to make your holiday home eco-friendly. Ensure the changes are sustainable throughout a longer period of time, so that the change can become habitual.
For more details on creating an eco-friendly holiday cottage, visit the Energy Saving Trust website for advice and information.
Applying all or some of these tips will help make a small but measurable difference. For more information about how you can make your holiday home eco-friendly, call our knowledgeable team today on 01326 5738080 (option 2).
Whether you’re considering letting your holiday home or you already have a holiday let business, here are a few informational guides out there to help you on your way on a variety of different holiday letting topics including:
Whatever stage you’re at in your journey, you can trust us to take the hassle out of holiday letting. We’ll get to know you and your property and work out exactly what you’ll need to get the most out of owning your own holiday let. With over 50 years of letting experience, we pride ourselves on delivering the bookings you deserve. Visit our ‘Let Your Cottage’ page or give us a call on 01326 336773 (option 2) today.
*Statistics from Sykes Cottages owner research 2022
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by Janine de Lange / Owner
I’ve had the privilege of living in the beautiful South West since 2010, and in my opinion there’s no better place in the worl...
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