At the start of December you received the new advance payment amount for service costs from us. This is in response to the rising energy costs as per 1 January 2023. We have received various reactions and questions about this. In this email we will briefly go over these and explain the current state of affairs regarding the lobby for financial compensation from the Dutch government for tenants who do not have their own energy meter, like most of the Idealis tenants.

The rise in energy costs stimulates further savings
We have noticed that because of the rise in energy costs, more tenants are now motivated to reduce their energy use. And that’s great! But it also raises a lot of questions. Because why conserve energy if your neighbour sets their radiator to the highest setting and you have to pay for that as well? And why won’t Idealis install a meter per room or per hallway so that you only have to pay for your own usage? These are understandable questions which we would gladly like to answer.

A large part of our complexes (Asserpark, Bellostraat, Binnenveld, Bornsesteeg, Churchillweg, Dijkgraaf, Droevendaalsesteeg, Hoevestein, Haarweg,  Javastraat, Marijkeweg en Nieuwe Kanaal ) fall under the label of bulk-user. In a number of complexes, the costs are settled per house, but usually the total energy costs are divided among all tenants. The total energy costs are then divided between all tenants. This means that you do not have any insight into your own usage, and your motivation to conserve energy is probably lower than if you could feel this immediately in your own wallet. The advantage is that everyone in the building will have the same costs, whether you live on the north or south side, at the corner or in between two other rooms.
Installing an intermediary meter for each room/hallway through our network operator and reading these would be a costly option (several hundreds of euros per room). Costs which would have to be paid through the rent and which would negate any potential savings. We are actively searching for cheaper alternatives and will likely test these first with a pilot.

Compensation is coming!
The lobby which Idealis set up together with other student housing companies of Kences (partnership student housing companies), has achieved some results in that an arrangement for compensation will come for block connections with bulk user connections. And that’s great news! Parliament is aiming towards announcing this arrangement in mid-February. As it looks now, we will have to request a subsidy for every room we lease. We will then receive a stipend. This amount will of course be entirely used for the service costs. This will also be a prerequisite for the subsidy. The subsidy will be calculated using the average energy price, minus the price below the price cap, multiplied by a standard average usage, minus 10%. This 10% reduction is intended to encourage energy savings. Many preconditions, such as the average energy price, still need to be determined by the government. The prices under the price cap are € 1.45 per m3 for gas and € 0.40 per kWh for electricity. When above the standard average usage, minus 10%, the regular (higher) costs are charged. Be aware, the prices below this price cap are still greatly increased when compared to the prices of 2022. Saving will therefore yield a lot!

In addition you will probably receive compensation for the months of November/December 2022. How this will be implemented will be known around mid-February.

As soon as there is more clarity about the content of the arrangement for compensation and what this means for you, we will inform you about this. This is expected to be by the end of February or beginning of March. The implementation of this arrangement might take a little longer. Once the arrangement is announced, Idealis will probably have to submit a request to the Dutch Tax Office which will subsequently have to be evaluated. For this reason and the many other uncertainties surrounding it, we will not lower the advance payments at this time. As soon as the arrangement is clear and our request approved we will look into how we can settle this and what it will mean for the advance payments.

For the energy subsidy for students we would like to refer you to the website of the LSVb (national student union - only in Dutch).

Some last tips
We have received many questions about tips for saving energy. On our website you can find a few of these tips. Discuss these possibilities with the fellow tenants of your corridor and make agreements. Start small but do it together!

Turn your radiator down a bit and judge for yourself whether your room is still comfortable. The average room temperature in the Netherlands is somewhere between 20/21 degrees. Because of the rise in energy costs many households have set their temperature lower. The government advises a maximum temperature of 19 degrees. Still too cold? Perhaps a thick sweater or blanket might offer a solution.

Also good to know:

• Keep your room well ventilated. Make sure the grille above your window stays open and do not tape over any mechanical ventilation. Both points are necessary for a healthy indoor climate. If you close the ventilation grille in your room you disturb the air flow in the entire building.
• Do you have a draught somewhere? Then look into whether a draught strip (to be purchased by yourself) might help.
• Keep the doors to the gallery and entrance closed as much as possible.
• Is your door or window not closing properly? Then submit a request for repairs through My Idealis.

Lastly
Are you studying at Wageningen UR and facing financial problems due to the rising energy costs? Then contact the dean’s office at Student Service Centre.
If you have further questions, then send an email to energieidealisnl.