GOOD LANDLORDS WORK PROACTIVELY FOR THE GOOD OF THEIR BUILDING

“We provide landlord services to actively manage your properties,” promises the website of local property management company Isännöintipalvelu Erkki Hanhisalo Ky. The company is responsible for around 90 housing companies in Oulu. Erkki Hanhisalo himself has encouraged already seventy of them to introduce the Energy programme.

Hanhisalo recommends all projects that can generate savings on the basis of common sense alone: “Now that energy issues are so prevalent, they are often tackled in a very expensive and bureaucratic way. Why not begin with an affordable, simple and functional solution, such as the Energy programme? We definitely found it to be worthwhile.”

SAVINGS CAN BE USED TO LOWER MONTHLY FEES

The decision-making process in housing companies can be very drawn out. “Boards are often cautious about anything new. They have to be shown that saving water is financially smart. Getting the first building onboard requires a lot of persistence, but when they begin to see results, their success is a big motivating factor for other housing companies. It’s easier to convince other boards that they should tackle their water consumption when we can show that their neighbour’s energy bill was cut by 10 percent, water consumption was lowered by 30 percent, it took less than a year for the investment to pay for itself, and the solution already generates savings of 5000 euros a year.”

“The strongest argument in board meetings is that the water conservation programme does not require monthly fees to be raised and that in some cases they can even be reduced,” Hanhisalo adds.

Hanhisalo gives the Energo technicians high marks: “In retrospect I have to say that they are a smart bunch of guys. If any of the residents had problems, they immediately contact them and resolved the issue.”