Last days I ve got heating cost summary from last heating period for my flat. I have some concerns regarding this stuff and would like to ask EF members for help. It is not about the language, but simply about the meaning as the names / description used is quite confusing for me. Clearly stating, I have no idea how this stuff is calculated.
So this is what I ve got from my rental company (values are of course dummy, however, the proportion I have kept, probably it can be helpful to investigate what it can mean):
Heizkosten und Warmwasser (10,000.500 Schl. Heiztage) = 4000 CHF
Ihr Anteil 830.400 Schl. Heiztage (5.190 in 160 Heiztagen) = 333 CHF
As mentioned, it is not about the language - I know what is written here, from language point of view it is very simple. However it is quite hard for me to find out the logic / some data based on what it has been calculated. There is nothing more attached.
Main things I ve got from it is that there is some share which I pay (I ve calclated it as around 8% of this main general amount). What remains unclear is this Heiztage (so where this 160 come from) and some factor of 5.190.
I suspect the details are included in your lease, either based on the no of rooms / m2 v the no of rooms / actual m2 of all apartments in the building.
I have calculated the Heiztage amount for my area (Zürich Kloten) in the period for which I weas billed was 1970 Heiztage. (what I ve got in my bill in my share was just about 1000, so twice less).
Also seems that probably here at the end is the explanation of the share which I pay:
but I am not sure yet, need to check it a bit deeper later.
What is also confusing, is that the bill is not only for heating of flat but also for heating of water ( Warmwasser ). However, everything is calculated together and described as I ve quoted in first post.
is it possible, that heating of water is also not calculated based on real usage (cubic meters -m3) but just as fixed value of some share? It would be quite strange I think, not to call it weird. Of course I use hot water, but in very limited way (I do not have children, we travel a lot with my wife also I am very often abroad / in homeland). I rather do not want to pay for the usage of someones else
LOOK AT WHAT IS WRITTEN IN YOUR LEASE, it's a proportion of building total use. You don't have an independent meter. BTW Utilities are VERY GOOD VALUE in CH.
In older buildings it is common that the building only has one meter for water volume and heating costs. These are then split based on the ratio of the floor area of the apartment/number of rooms to the whole.
With a single boiler and a single meter there is no way to split out the actual use. You could move to a more modern apartment, but then your rent would probably be higher than your savings through actual water and heating costs.
I rent a hobby room. I only have the heating just at a level to stop things from freezing. I pay about 100/year for my share of the heating and electricity. There is no way on earth that my actual energy use is that high - it is essentially a storage space for tools and parts/materials. As the rent for this space is only 85/month, I don't mind paying more than my share of heating/electricity.
Thanks a lot. It seems to be clear now, probably it is the case what you have described!
The bill is not especially high, however it was confusing for me that I do not get some info about real usage (as I got such in my previous flat, with exact metrics and the house itself was much older than current one)
I must admit that it is really tricky
I understad the case with heating but with hot water it is confusing as nowadays I believe it is very simple to get it (hot water usage) measured for each apartment (in my homeland each building has it, even socialist plate-blocks) by sealed measurer in each flat.
But anyway, it is not the time to consider it, I need to get used to.
You are correct, installing a water meter would only cost something like 1000 per meter. That's one on the hot water line, and one on the cold water line. Even new buildings here then need someone to come and read those meters.