How to Lower Your Airbnb Bill

If You’re a Host

Hosting comes with many more ways to save money, which makes sense since they’re the ones who technically get “bills” because of their Airbnb activities.

Examine Monthly Utility Bills

For starters, keep a sharp eye on all your monthly utility bills. It helps to break down every item on your bill, especially so you can see what you and your family or other living partners might use as opposed to your guests. Look at:

• heat and hot water use
• electricity use
• when temperature costs spike (for instance, doesn’t match up with when you had guests?)
• Internet usage and data
• And more

The point of breaking down your bill is to help you understand all your costs and see where you can cut back. For instance, you might be being charged an exorbitant Internet bill if your guests use a lot of data. You can potentially alleviate this extra cost by switching Internet providers.

Choosing a company that has a higher data cap will be better for your wallet while still allowing your guests relatively free access to the Internet.

Use a Temperature Controller

Many guests are somewhat inconsiderate when it comes to temperature across your home. You can install a temperature controller like a Nest device, which prevents them from fiddling with the thermostat without your permission. This way, even if they try to change the temperature, they won’t be able to and won’t raise your bill as a result.

Only Have Main Living Areas Temperature Controlled

You can also have something of a compromise and allow your guests to change the temperature of their living areas, but not the whole home. Alternatively, you can go with portable heating or cooling solutions like air-conditioning window units or space heaters for added flexibility (though this may raise your electric bill).

Use Solar Power

Solar power is both efficient and cost-effective. Replace as much energy use with solar installations as you can, and you’ll be charged less for electricity and get a tax break.

Change Service Providers

As mentioned, you can change your service providers for your various utilities or for things like your Internet. There are often promotions or deals going on to entice new customers, so take advantage of these if it looks like one provides better costs for Airbnb hosts. 

Use Compact Fluorescent Lights

Lastly, you can change many of the lightbulbs in your home with compact fluorescent varieties to replace your incandescent bulbs. This is not only better for the environment, but it also lowers your electric bill by a noticeable amount.