Who Should Pay the Common Electricity Expenses Incurred in the Summer, How?

Everyone knows that the item that most strains apartment budgets in winter is heating expenses (natural gas/coal). But on those July days when we're in the middle of summer, some of the bills that come to the managers' desks may be something that won't make the winter months clear: Common Area Electricity Bills.

summer heat, the garden irrigation hydrophores, the pool's recirculating motors, central air conditioners and lighting in the common areas combine to keep the landscape of the site green, the common electricity meter of the building turns like a stopwatch. When the bill is high, those familiar voices begin to rise in the apartment hallways: “I'm in the vineyard in the summer, even if the garden is not watered”, “I don't use the pool, why do I pay for the electricity of the engine?”

What Does Condominium Law Say? (Article 20)

Article 20 of the Law on Condominium very clearly cuts the way for such discussions.

So a resident has no legal right not to pay his share of the bill, saying "I never go to the block where the pool is “," The lawn in the garden does not concern me "or" I was in my hometown all summer, I did not use the communal electricity of the site.” Common facilities and areas are a property right and responsibility, even if they are not used.

Is a Filtration Counter the Solution?

• In some buildings, a “filtration meter” is being installed on the common line, especially in order to separate the electricity consumption of commercial areas (shops, cafes, etc.) or special areas dedicated only to certain people.
• If it has been decided at the general meeting, the electricity of devices serving only a specific block or purpose (for example, ventilation of the closed parking lot under block A only) can be measured by a filtration meter and reflected only in that block.
• But even if the electricity of the elements that add value to the entire site, such as garden irrigation, communal environmental lighting, the main safety shed and the general pool of the site, is measured by the filtration meter, the cost is divided among all owners.

What Can an Executive Do to Lower Summer Bills?

1. Time-Time Watering: Setting garden irrigation systems to the hours of night or morning when evaporation is minimal both saves water and prevents the hydrophore from burning excess electricity by standing up in the heat of the day.
2. LED and Sensor Conversion: Converting common area lighting to photocelling/sensor and switching to LED bulbs directly lowers the bill by 30-40%.
3. Transparent Disclosure: When the bill arrives, instead of simply hanging the total amount on the board, explaining to residents in clear language the approximate consumption costs of the pool motor, hydrophore and lighting avoids gossip.