Tenant asking me to cover high utility bill

[Shane Woodman]

I have a utility bill question. My tenants are required to pay their electric bills. However, my HVAC unit needed a part so the tenants ran on emergency heat for 12 days. This has the unit run off the main power source. As a result, the electric bill was $100 higher than usual. Should I pay for the $100? My gut says yes, but I don’t want them coming to me every time they have a high bill.

Thanks for the help!

[Colleen F.]

So I got to look up and learn a little about heat pumps today.  It seems you have a heat pump and if you use emergency heat either because of low temperatures or a problem with the heat pump there is a  higher cost because it is basically  resistance electric heat, not the more efficient heat pump. If it were me and they were there a year I would look at it in relation to last years bill to see if it is out of line for the same time last year (not last month).    If it is,  you might credit them for the total impact  of this repair rather then say  I am paying  part of the electric bill.  Say this credit/gift card etc would be compensation for the impact of the repair in total.  Any days of no heat etc. I find it cleaner that way.  The amount is up to you.

I recently had tenants with a needed  oil tank change out and I credited for lost oil and days with no heat. They stayed in the house and opted to use an electric heater but I did not pay the electric just rebated the rent for those days.