To wonder how holiday home owners regulate power usage?

[Giggorata]

Times is 'ard and it looks as though we might have to let out the Scottish cottage for the holiday/weekend trade.
We've only ever rented it out to friends/friends of friends/family before this, and by rented, I mean usually asking for contributions to electricity and council tax.
Now that both are going through the roof, this probably has to change.
So, I am wondering how we can ensure that an electric fire won't be left on for two months, for example, (looking at you, DS2).
Is there any way of doing something remotely? Via smart meter, Hive or something?
We live 4 hours away by car, and fuel is also rocketing…

@justanotherremainer

marquese

I accept that some holiday homes are desirable. As you say, they allow people to have holidays in nice places.

However, in a lot of scenic parts of the UK, there are far too many of them. The numbers need to be reduced significantly. This opinion is widespread in parts of the country which are affected.

In some cases, where there is a connection with a place, or some other good reason for retaining ownership of the house, I guess it can be justified, and gives some holiday homes within any given area.

However, what is now happening a lot is that people are buying houses in these areas purely for investment purposes. IMO that should not be permitted. Invest in something else instead.

Good luck trying to change that!

I can't see where in the OPs posts she's asked anyone their opinion on holiday homes?
That’s not how a chat forum works, you don’t get to demand everyone stays on a narrow topic. @justanotherremainer was quite right, and it would solve the OP’s original problem.

Hellithurt

My point exactly; it will be difficult. But it is actually open to everybody not to act entirely in their own interest the whole time. Maybe spare a thought for the places they claim to "love" holidaying in. I would like a holiday house. I can afford one. But i'm not going to buy one because then I become part of the problem.

Back to the main point.yes a holiday home without WiFi and just electric heaters will be tricky. You might need to think about how this would work. I wouldn't appeal to me at all.

[quote SoberCurious78]@AllOfUsAreDead have you actually read OP?? She’s not making hundreds of pounds or letting her guests freeze[/quote]
Well holiday let's aren't free you know, nor are they cheap. They generally do go for hundreds a week...

And she's looking for a way to monitor how much electricity etc is used. Now being able to switch something off is one thing, but as others have pointed out, other landlords go a step further and limit what people can use. She could easily just ask the cleaner to check things are switched off. No need to monitor things. If you can't afford it, don't have it.

Hellithurt, I'm not sure that on a public forum one can dictate which way the conversation goes

@Momicrone

Hellithurt, I'm not sure that on a public forum one can dictate which way the conversation goes

No but one can try and stay on topic and one can try to answer the question that has been asked. One could also try not to bore people with their irritating judgement.

Anyway, it's mostly stayed on topic and OP has had a lot of good advice.

Sorry I bored you Hellithurt.

I can assure you that the problems caused by holiday home ownership are much, much worse than boredom.

@HELLITHURT actually it is immoral. Young locals, in particular, in Scottish Highlands, can't find anywhere to buy because so many properties are bought up by outsiders. It absolutely needs to be far better regulated with just a very small number of properties available for rent.

[quote Mojoj]@HELLITHURT actually it is immoral. Young locals, in particular, in Scottish Highlands, can't find anywhere to buy because so many properties are bought up by outsiders. It absolutely needs to be far better regulated with just a very small number of properties available for rent.[/quote]
It's not immoral stop being hysterical! What a ridiculous statement.

It's life, people buy properties for investment and will continue to do so.

Every penny I earn I pay tax on and I will spend that however I see fit.

No one can dictate how another person decides to invest (assuming it's legal).

@justanotherremainer

Sorry I bored you Hellithurt.

I can assure you that the problems caused by holiday home ownership are much, much worse than boredom.

Apology accepted.

Hellithurt I’m not sure you’d be welcome on any sort of holiday where I live 😞, whether in a holiday home or not. What an unfortunate mindset you have. And you seem very confident that the law won’t change.

@FloraPostePosts

You will need a good, reliable, responsible cleaner as you are so far away, so that person will be in charge of making sure things are switched off when they clean at the end of each rental.

I wouldn’t rely on tech - it’s a real pain if something goes wrong and you can’t just pop round to reboot it.

This!

(Being an holiday let owner long-distance is not something I'd ever recommend - I had one and sold it in the end, because the cleaning and maintenance was too difficult...)

@justanotherremainer

Hellithurt I’m not sure you’d be welcome on any sort of holiday where I live 😞, whether in a holiday home or not. What an unfortunate mindset you have. And you seem very confident that the law won’t change.

It won't! Meet you back here in 10 years time and it will all be the same...

I wouldn't have any wish to holiday anywhere near you, you sound territorial and unwelcoming.

Still I'm only letting for another 5 years, so enjoying the revenue increase (and grants) that have been provided to us to deal with recent events.

Then we will retire to our second home.

I will continue to invest into various items, spreading the risk and benefitting from returns.

@HolidayLetter agree with you regarding cleaner and caretaker! Ours is fabulous and wrr we pay well for them.

It is key!

To you, I would most certainly be as unwelcoming as possible

Rent it out to a local family. I live in a very popular holiday area and recently attended a support meeting for several local single mums who are all being kicked out of their rentals because the houses are being sold out from under them, and can't find another rental for love nor money for them and their kids.

HELLITHURT I agree, you are immoral- and tone deaf 😡

I should add that these single mums are all from my kids' school- 4 of them, from a school of just 90 kids. There were a lot of tears.

@justanotherremainer
Hear hear - young relatives in Cornwall unable to afford to buy locally. Second homes should be regulated to a percentage of available accommodation. A social conscience is an excellent thing to have.

[quote LadyAddle]@justanotherremainer
Hear hear - young relatives in Cornwall unable to afford to buy locally. Second homes should be regulated to a percentage of available accommodation. A social conscience is an excellent thing to have.[/quote]
But it's not, so it's not immoral, it's business.

@crackofdoom

Rent it out to a local family. I live in a very popular holiday area and recently attended a support meeting for several local single mums who are all being kicked out of their rentals because the houses are being sold out from under them, and can't find another rental for love nor money for them and their kids.

HELLITHURT I agree, you are immoral- and tone deaf 😡

Tone deaf? Or a thread that asks about how to regulate energy use?

If you want to do a thread about second hones and it being immoral, then do!

I think coming onto a thread saying it's a second home and it's a holiday let and whinging about your issues is tone deaf!

It's not what OP asked!

I think she’s just trolling now

@justanotherremainer

I think she’s just trolling now

Well then report me....

If you do consider selling and it's remote/rural feel free to DM me - I'm looking for a home in Scotland to move to (already in Scotland) :)

Topical article here…
www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/news/19829938.tim-farron-mp-sets-plan-stop-lake-district-housing-crisis/