Electricity - vacation with an allowance

[crossway]

Hi,

We've always booked a villa that is effectively 'all-in' and from private renters. We have however found one that we like the look of for our next trip which is rented by a company and which has an electricity allowance of $5 per day 12cents per kwh over. I am just wondering whether anyone knows if the allowance is reasonable to cover a stay for 2 people in January, the property has electric pool heating?

Thanks

[carolmc]

I've never heard od such a thing....I doubt that it would cover pool heating!! How would you know what you've used?? Where did you find the villa??

[stabard]

That would not be for me I am afraid. When I book a villa I like to know in advance how much it is going to cost me, I do not want to be stung with a large bill at the end of my holiday. If a villa owner, be they private or a company, has worked out their rental charge correctly they will have built in the cost of utilities up front. This just feels "cheap" and does not feel me with confidence that this company know how to price their homes correctly in the first place.

[crossway]

I've never heard od such a thing....I doubt that it would cover pool heating!! How would you know what you've used?? Where did you find the villa??

Hi - its a company that sells properties as well as let (not sure if I can name them?). They have quite a few for rental most are booked. I have found that where i've come across villa owners from outside the UK they tend to have an electricity allowance.

[carolmc]

I am not in UK and never had anuthing to do with an "allowance"...how does it work?? Do you know the electricity co, rate etc....I wouldn't touch it myself.

[florida4sun]

I used to manage properties in florida and never heard of this. $5 a day would not go far. Figure on $20 -$30 just for pool heating.

[carolmc]

Agree with Martin - you would be lucky to get away with $20 per day especially with pool heat...so $5 would about cover the lights and fridge..

[SDJ]

Sounds like you will probably be stung and have to pay a ridiculous rate for any electric usage over the $5 allowance. Good heavens, if you had a cold couple of evenings and put heating on you may have nothing left to spend on your holiday!!! Would not go near that type of rental and never heard of it before.

Why don't you take a look at the villas on these 3 sites as they are all individually owned so you have no third party Company taking monies from you, and you would deal directly from the owner. All villas are verified on these sites and you can rest assured that villa owners on here would definitely look after you personally. Good luck.

[Lyn]

Looking at my bills $5 a day should cover you for normal use (not to much heat, not to much aiir con) but NOT pool heat. This is a very strange way of doing things you will be constantly on edge in case you are running up a huge bill. In my opinion, not worth the worry, hire a villa with a cost up front and no extras to bump it up later.

[luckylady]

Wouldn't be for me either, I want to know upfront what I will be paying. Also I think it could spoil your holiday wondering how much the electrics going to cost everytime to put a light on or boiled the kettle.