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.
What's Included
All of our holiday cottages are fitted out with standard equipment for normal everyday Scottish self-catering. However, for reference you can expect to find items such as the following:
- Sets of crockery: dinner plates, bowls, side plates, cups, saucers, mugs, milk jug, sugar bowl, teapot, salt and pepper
- Sets of cutlery: knives, forks, spoons, serving spoons and teaspoons
- Sets of glasses: wine glasses and tumblers
- Cooking equipment: saucepans, frying pan, casserole dish(es), baking sheet, serving dish, bowl(s), colander, sieve, wooden spoon(s), spatula, potato peeler, potato masher, kitchen knife(s), bread knife, tin opener, bottle opener, ladle, measuring jug, chopping board(s), oven glove, scissors and grater
- Miscellaneous items: food storage containers, fruit bowl, vegetable rack and mats.
Please note that not every owner will provide the exact same equipment at all times so if there is anything on this list that would affect the enjoyment of your holiday if it was not available, it may be worth bringing along your own.
What to Bring
To ensure that your self catering holidays are a success, we have drawn up a list of additional things you might want to bring with you to Scotland:
Domestic Items to Bring or Buy
- Bed linen and towels (if applicable)
- Toilet roll
- Dish towel(s)
- Washing up liquid
- Washing powder
- Clothes pegs
- Washing up cloth
- Kitchen towel.
Useful Items to Remember
- Booking confirmation and details of how to get there
- Camera
- Map of the area and guide books
- Anti-insect cream/lotion
- A torch
- Soap
- Matches
- Face cloths/sponges
- Antiseptic cream/lotion
- Adhesive plasters
- Sun tan lotion - yes, you can burn even in Scotland!
- Sun hats
- Sunglasses
- Wet weather gear, especially footwear
- Picnic items
- Babywipes or similar - for dirty hands before alfresco lunches
- Collapsible chairs
- Rugs/groundsheets
- Holiday reading
- Outdoor items - balls, tennis or badminton sets, frisbees, etc
- Beach towels
- Sports gear - golf clubs, tennis rackets, swimsuits, etc
- Rucksacks
- Binoculars
- Packs of cards/games
- Travel alarm clock
- Needle and thread.
.....and don't forget your toothbrush!
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