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Smart Utility Monitoring & Billing

 

Concerned about your self-catering property energy bills?

As an owner rising energy costs and their impact on your rental income have likely become a concern in recent years. Increasing rental rates to cover rising energy costs is often to the detriment of occupancy levels. At Unique Cottages, we have come up with an alternative approach, a smarter and fairer way of ensuring you are not out of pocket for excessive energy usage.
Our energy management system has been specifically designed for the short-term letting market to revolutionize the consumption and management of utilities at your property.

Does your holiday property have a smart meter?

Smart meters are being rolled out across the UK and are supporting householders to control their energy spend by giving real-time information about their energy consumption in their own homes. Why shouldn’t the same technology be used to support holiday-makers to do the same?

Unique Cottages has developed software that does exactly that – utilising smart meter readings, our energy management system provides fair transparent billing so guests can enjoy the peace of mind that they are only paying for the energy they use while you as an owner can rest assured that you won’t be out of pocket if there is excessive usage.

No smart meter? No problem!

Your energy supplier may not yet have installed at smart meter at your property, but this doesn’t mean you can’t also advantage of the benefits of our energy management system. We can provide you with an inexpensive & easy to install Meter Interface which will provide you with the same data, knowledge and control as if you already had a smart meter in situ.

How does it work?

You have enough to think about as a holiday cottage owner, so our energy management system is fully automated. After a simple set-up, guest alerts and billing are all taken care of for you. Working seamlessly with the booking engine of your choice, guest information is securely passed to the energy management system ensuring that personal data is dealt with appropriately. Following the end of their holiday, guests are provided with details of their energy Ausage, a breakdown of costs, and a quick & easy way to pay directly to your bank account.

Do I have to charge my guests?

It's up to you if you choose to charge your guests. Our energy management system gives you the flexibility to just monitor costs, to set up an ‘included’ amount (and only charge for excessive usage) or to pass all utility costs directly on to the guests. We know each cottage is unique so our system can cater to all. Whether you choose to charge or not, our system accurately reflects each party's consumption, fostering trust and transparency. We believe this not only exactly what the self-catering industry in the UK needs but is exactly what the planet needs as well! Our system encourages energy-efficient usage, contributing to a greener, more sustainable holiday experience and a healthier planet.

Benefits

  • Increased energy efficiency, cost savings, and a boost to property appeal
  • Hassle-free remote monitoring and real-time usage insights
  • Accurate data on energy usage to support understanding of seasonal energy usage patterns
  • Fully security and privacy compliance built keeping customer data safe
  • Utilise Smart Meter technology to reduce your energy costs whether your property has a smart meter already installed or not.
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Payment by Results

Payment by Results

At Unique Cottages, we like to keep things as simple and transparent as possible - with no hidden charges.

We don't believe in having a different rate for just about every week of the year (which must make it very difficult for owners to keep track of what their net return should be).

So, we have four clearly defined rental bands, and before you sign up with us you get a net figure for each of them.

Our Charging Structure

Our charging structure, too, is as simple as we can make it; you only pay us anything when we let the house for you. There are no standing charges such as registration fees, booking fees, photography fees or fees for additional advertising. If we don't let your house, you pay us not a penny. All we ask is that the property is marketed exclusively through Unique Cottages and that you commit to us for at least a year.

Our commission is deducted only when the balance of the rental goes into your account. It's tax deductible and of course the VAT is reclaimable if you are VAT registered.

We would only take on a property if, with our 40 years' experience, we were wholly confident we could let it well for you. We can also supply, free of charge and without obligation, a projection of what we consider would be a realistic income for you from your property. Letting through Unique Cottages really should be a win-win decision for you.