Re: Allocating Common Costs by an Algorithm e.g. based on # adults and sq. ft. | <– Date –> <– Thread –> |
From: Ken Winter (kensunward.org) | |
Date: Wed, 10 Mar 2021 09:26:52 -0800 (PST) |
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 > > > >
- Re: Allocating Common Costs by an Algorithm e.g. based on # adults and sq. ft., (continued)
-
Re: Allocating Common Costs by an Algorithm e.g. based on # adults and sq. ft. Ken Winter, March 10 2021
-
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
-
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
-
Sub-metering [was Allocating Common Costs by an Algorithm e.g. based on # adults and sq. ft. Sharon Villines, March 10 2021
-
Re: Allocating Common Costs by an Algorithm e.g. based on # adults and sq. ft. Ken Winter, March 10 2021
Results generated by Tiger Technologies Web hosting using MHonArc.