Re: Allocating Common Costs by an Algorithm e.g. based on # adults and sq. ft. | <– Date –> <– Thread –> |
From: R Philip Dowds (rphilipdowds![]() |
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Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2021 10:42:11 -0800 (PST) |
I think the closing sentence of my third paragraph was supposed to be referencing the additional cost and effort of sub-metering. As was my final paragraph. Sub-metering is definitely one of the technical options. Is it worth it? To whom? (No reason for everybody to come up with the same answer …) Thanks, RPD > On Mar 10, 2021, at 12:26 PM, Ken Winter <ken [at] sunward.org> wrote: > > The third alternative is submetering of unit utilities. See > https://docs.google.com/document/d/14kO0ncu6-G0W_qJKJqsjxXT9xYAotIWSXGhqTK1aF0c/edit?usp=sharing > for more. > > On Wed, Mar 10, 2021 at 11:35 AM R Philip Dowds via Cohousing-L < > cohousing-l [at] cohousing.org> wrote: > >> I here detect some alternative philosophies about cost sharing in >> cohousing. >> >> The most communitarian is all-in-together, w/ each dwelling unit or >> household paying an equal share, one-for-one. The popular variant of this >> approach is that all common expenses are split in proportion to unit value, >> for which unit square footage is seen as an acceptable proxy. >> >> At the other end of the scale, we have pay-per-use. Separate utility >> metering is popular for those who advocate pay-per-use — partly because the >> frugal don’t want to pay for the extravagances of those who “waste” power, >> water, etc, and partly because many believe that wastefulness is more >> likely if no measurable financial penalty accrues to the profligate. But >> it is usually true that one common meter will deliver utilities at >> significantly lower cost all around than many individual meters. After >> committing to one common meter, it’s a matter of how much additional time >> and money one wants to spend recapturing the data lost from, and >> re-assigning dollar costs to, the individual households. >> >> There are odd gray areas between these two extremes. Some communities >> have a per use charging system for common laundry equipment, and in other >> communities, laundry machines are provide as a “free” amenity available to >> all, just like the common kitchen or toilets. I’ve never heard of pay >> toilets in cohousing, but it’s kind of the logical end point of the >> pay-per-use model. >> >> Speaking as the Treasurer of a community which has fairly complex >> pay-per-use protocols, my general advice is: Be sure it’s really worth it >> to you. You can end up with pretty elaborate accounting challenges. >> >> Thanks, >> RPD >> >>> On Mar 10, 2021, at 11:05 AM, Ken Winter <ken [at] sunward.org> wrote: >>> >>> I'd strongly urge you to build in a system where each unit pays for its >>> actual, measured usage of water, electricity, and gas. You can get >> actual >>> measurements for each unit in two ways: (1) each unit has a meter >> provided >>> by the local utility and pays the utility directly, or (2) the local >>> utility has meters on each building and the community has submeters for >>> each unit, the community pays the utility and each unit owner pays the >>> community for that unit's usage as measured by its submeter. At Sunward >>> Cohousing, after 20 years of "we all pay for everything", we have >>> retrofitted submeters into our water billing system. For what we did, >> why, >>> and how, see >>> >> https://docs.google.com/document/d/14kO0ncu6-G0W_qJKJqsjxXT9xYAotIWSXGhqTK1aF0c/edit?usp=sharing >> . >>> This article is a quite incomplete work-in-progress, but the "why" >> section >>> is pretty solid. >>> >>> ~ Ken Winter, Sunward Cohousing, Ann Arbor MI >>> >>> >>> On Wed, Mar 10, 2021 at 7:51 AM Jim Bronson <jimbronsonashland [at] >>> gmail.com >>> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> Dear Cohousing Communities, >>>> >>>> River Song is planning to break ground soon. We are thinking about >> having >>>> one electric meter per building and one water meter for the whole >> community >>>> to save costs - which may be as much as $600/month compared to having >>>> meters for each unit. >>>> >>>> When we are up and running our HOA will allocate common costs monthly or >>>> quarterly. We have heard from other cohousing communities that they >> have >>>> evolved a way of fairly allocating common costs using an algorithm >> based on >>>> # of adults and square footage for each unit. >>>> >>>> For our planning, I have attached a one page MS Word doc that shows an >>>> example of how we think this could look for the simple case of a 4 unit >>>> cohousing community. I would appreciate hearing from communities >>>> experienced in using algorithm allocation for common costs about what >> they >>>> have learned. Also, I would like to know how their algorithms may allow >>>> for individual variations, for example a private unit having their own >>>> solar pv, having a hot tub or an electric car charging station, etc. >>>> >>>> Thanks for sharing what you have learned. >>>> Jim Bronson (for the Design Team) >>>> River Song Cohousing Community >>>> _________________________________________________________________ >>>> Cohousing-L mailing list -- Unsubscribe, archives and other info at: >>>> http://L.cohousing.org/info >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>> _________________________________________________________________ >>> Cohousing-L mailing list -- Unsubscribe, archives and other info at: >>> http://L.cohousing.org/info >>> >>> >>> >> >> _________________________________________________________________ >> Cohousing-L mailing list -- Unsubscribe, archives and other info at: >> http://L.cohousing.org/info >> >> >> >> > _________________________________________________________________ > Cohousing-L mailing list -- Unsubscribe, archives and other info at: > http://L.cohousing.org/info > > >
- Sub-metering [was Allocating Common Costs by an Algorithm e.g. based on # adults and sq. ft., (continued)
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Sub-metering [was Allocating Common Costs by an Algorithm e.g. based on # adults and sq. ft. Sharon Villines, March 10 2021
- Re: Sub-metering [was Allocating Common Costs by an Algorithm e.g. based on # adults and sq. ft. Ken Winter, March 10 2021
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Re: Allocating Common Costs by an Algorithm e.g. based on # adults and sq. ft. R Philip Dowds, March 10 2021
- Re: Allocating Common Costs by an Algorithm e.g. based on # adults and sq. ft. Ken Winter, March 10 2021
- Re: Allocating Common Costs by an Algorithm e.g. based on # adults and sq. ft. R Philip Dowds, March 10 2021
- Re: Allocating Common Costs by an Algorithm e.g. based on # adults and sq. ft. Ken Winter, March 10 2021
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Sub-metering [was Allocating Common Costs by an Algorithm e.g. based on # adults and sq. ft. Sharon Villines, March 10 2021
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