Saving energy

If you pay your monthly advance amount for service and/or heating costs to us by direct debit, the monthly amount will be adjusted by us. You do not have to take any action for this.

If you pay your advance via a periodic transfer to us, please remember to adjust it yourself on time.

The "general" price cap did not apply well for households with a shared connection, such as block heating or a collective energy contract. This is because a building with block heating or a collective contract is seen as one household under the price cap plans because it has only one connection. The government had developed an allowance so that these households will also receive a contribution to the high energy costs in 2023.

You could not apply for the allowance yourself because that was provided by the contract holder. This was Vesteda or the Owners Association (VvE), depending on the complex in which you live.

The grant could be applied for from 2th of April through the 31st of October. All grant applications are submitted. Residents in apartments with block heating are already informed on how the allowance will be paid out.

Our aim is to send out the annual statement before July 1st. However, we are partly dependent on suppliers such as water and energy companies when drawing up the statement. Unfortunately, the planning is not entirely in our own hands.

After all, we can only draw up a final statement once we have received all the necessary information.

No, in June an interim analysis will take place to determine whether the monthly advance for energy costs should be adjusted downwards or upwards. You will of course receive another e-mail or letter from us about this.

In addition to the energy tariffs for gas and electricity, surcharges and levies such as energy tax must be passed on. Unfortunately, the exact rates for these services have not yet been set by the grid operator and the government, and are therefore estimated by us.

It is possible to have the amount of your monthly advance payment for service costs be adjusted. Please send an e-mail to sskhuurdersvragen@vesteda.com, stating your name and address, and the reason why.

You can specify the amount you want to pay as a monthly advance for the service costs. We will check your request first and adjust the service costs. However, we don't want you to have to pay extra at the end of the year. Therefore, we estimate the annual service costs as accurately as possible. Based on this, you will receive a proposal for a monthly advance payment amount. We recommend that you comply to this adjustment as an advance amount.

In your contract and the proposal for the increase in monthly service and/or heating costs for 2023, you will find each cost type, which will be charged, listed separately. You will also find this in the service and/or heating cost statement.
A breakdown of your advance payment can also be found on mijn.vesteda.com.

Are you anticipating financial difficulties with your rental payment? Please inform us as soon as possible through Mijn Vesteda. Together we will then look at the possibilities

Energy saving in common areas is often thought of reducing the number of light points. However, this results in a modest amount of energy savings. In addition, good lighting is important for everyone's safety, for example to prevent slipping and falling, but also to guarantee a sense of security for our tenants.

In the past years, incandescent and halogen lamps have been replaced by energy-efficient lighting in the common areas of at least 25 apartment complexes. Where this has not yet been done, this will be or will be included within the future maintenance planning.

In some cases, the current fixtures need to be replaced. Depending on the age of the current fixtures, this is included in the maintenance planning. After all, it is not very sustainable to replace these fixtures prematurely, as energy-efficient lighting only provides limited energy savings.

Most of the electricity costs for the common areas within the apartment complex go towards the usage of the elevator. To put it into perspective, this is about 80% to sometimes 90% of the total. The elevator not only consumes electricity during the lift movements, but also during the standby mode of the control system.

It is almost impossible to achieve energy savings on the standby mode. The only way to save electricity is to limit elevator movements. This means that residents could take the stairs more often. That is why we want to have a notice applied to all elevators with an appeal to take the stairs more often. Of course, this only applies to tenants for whom this is possible.

The cleaning of the common areas is part of the service costs. If you have any complaints about the condition of the cleaning within your complex, you can report this within your online dashboard Mijn Vesteda. In the case of multiple complaints, we will contact the cleaning company that is responsible for the cleaning and ensure the quality improvement.

Over 93% of our homes have a green energy label A, B, or C. We are also working hard to renovate our older buildings with energy label D, E, F, or G to make them more sustainable, with a view to reducing energy consumption. How much you can save on your own bill depends on your energy consumption as well as energy prices.

To read about what we’ve been doing for sustainability, please visit our webpage: saving-energy

We want 99% of our buildings have a green energy label (A, B, or C) by 2024. At the moment, this applies to 93% of our buildings, up from just 80% in 2017. Older buildings with a lower energy label are being prioritized, though energy-saving measures such as installing double glazing, insulating walls and roofs, and erecting solar panels. We will always consult with the affected tenants about this. We will give you plenty of notice before any work is carried out on your building.

Given the way the market is right now, it is still difficult to predict how much you will have to increase your fixed amount by in 2023. For tenants in an apartment complex with a collective heating system, we recommend that you at least double your fixed amount in 2023. When we have more information, we will let you know in good time how much you should increase this by.

Replacing your gas stove with an induction plate is usually done at the same time as a complete kitchen renovation. Depending on the age of your kitchen (at least 25 years), you might be eligible for this. You can of course apply to have an induction hob installed through My Vesteda, but if the gas hob is still quite new, it is not sustainable to replace it early. In addition to age, we also take urgency, scheduling, and budget into account. In most cases, a small financial contribution is required.

If you rent a home without built-in kitchen appliances, we can make the electrical supply in your home suitable for electric cooking. You can then purchase and install an induction hob yourself.

Replacing your central-heating boiler is very complex and depends on its age (at least 20 years). If it does need to be replaced, you will be informed in plenty of time. Of course, we will look at various options for an energy-efficient central-heating boiler or heat pump. A heat pump, for example, requires a well-insulated home and takes up much more space than a central-heating boiler. These factors also play a role in the decision.

In 2021, energy labels for dishwashers, washing machines, washer-dryers, refrigerators, freezers, lights and display screens were changed. The scale changed from ‘A+++ to D’ to ‘A to G’. Products that now score a ‘C’ can therefore be much more economical than an older product labelled A. We choose the appliances we install in our homes based on energy efficiency and value for money.

All information about the energy label of homes, appliances and cars can be found on a special website. You can check your label here.

read more at energielabel.nl (NL)

No, unfortunately that is not possible. Within 5 years we want to equip all our of our houses with solar panels. Currently we are conducting research into which homes could be eligible for this and when. This depends on the location, the condition of the roof and the maintenance planning.

Yes, you can apply to have solar panels installed yourself
through My Vesteda. Go to ‘Contact’ and create a new contact, choose ‘gehuurde’ (rented) and then ‘zelf aangebrachte voorziening’ (self-installation).
We want to install solar panels on all suitable homes over the next ten years. But if you want to have solar panels installed earlier, you can do this by covering the costs and maintenance yourself.

Log into My Vesteda

Log in My Vesteda

You can only report a malfunction if you have had your solar panels installed by Vesteda. Did you have your solar panels installed yourself? Then you are also responsible for the maintenance and we cannot assist you further.

You can report your malfunction quickly and easily through My Vesteda.

Log in My Vesteda

There are three ways to get solar panels at Vesteda:

• Your home is on our renovation and maintenance schedule. This means we are looking to install solar panels on your building very soon.
• We openly offer free solar panels in your area, in partnership with Zonneplan. If your area is covered, we will let you know by letter. We don’t accept requests to include other areas in this. We aim to install solar panels on all our houses within ten years. Each year, we announce which homes are eligible for this.
• You can have solar panels installed yourself by letting us know through My Vesteda. If we approve this, you can then purchase and install solar panels yourself. Maintenance will then be entirely at your own expense.

Where possible, we want to provide our single-family homes with solar panels within 5 years. We work together with Zonneplan. We regularly report on our website which new complexes are eligible for this.

In 2024, at least the following complexes will be equipped with free solar panels. This planning is subject to technical and ecological research.

• Julianapark, Amsterdam
• Fluitekruid I, Abcoude
• De Drie Bouwmeesters, Amsterdam
• Kattenbroek Eiland, Amersfoort
• Braspenningstraat, Alkmaar
• Literatuurwijk, Almere
• Korianderweg, Almere
• Kruidenwijk II, Almere
• Parkwijk, Almere
• Doelen en Louvre, Capelle aan den Ijssel
• Colmschate I en II, Deventer
• Picushof, Eindhoven
• Poelmanstraat, Heemskerk
• Mommersdonk, Helmond
• Ringvaartplasbuurt II, Rotterdam
• Zevenkamp, Rotterdam
• Secretaris Versteeglaan, Vleuten

These complexes have been selected by us in coordination with Zonneplan. Tenants will be informed about this by letter. It is not possible to register your home for this.

In August 2021, we partnered up with Zonneplan to install thousands of solar panels for free on our homes every year. Our aim is to install solar panels on all 15,000 of our houses, where possible. Our tenants have been overjoyed to hear this, especially as they can reap the rewards without having to pay a penny towards it.

Since the start of the solar panel campaign, hundreds of single-family homes have now been equipped with free solar panels. In 2022, complexes in Amsterdam, Badhoevedorp, Emmen, Geldrop, Hoorn and Krommenie were equipped with solar panels.

In 2024, at least the following complexes will be equipped with free solar panels. This overview is updated regularly. This planning is subject to technical and ecological research.

• Julianapark, Amsterdam
• Fluitekruid I, Abcoude
• De Drie Bouwmeesters, Amsterdam
• Kattenbroek Eiland, Amersfoort
• Braspenningstraat, Alkmaar
• Literatuurwijk, Almere
• Korianderweg, Almere
• Kruidenwijk II, Almere
• Parkwijk, Almere
• Doelen en Louvre, Capelle aan den Ijssel
• Colmschate I en II, Deventer
• Picushof, Eindhoven
• Poelmanstraat, Heemskerk
• Mommersdonk, Helmond
• Ringvaartplasbuurt II, Rotterdam
• Zevenkamp, Rotterdam
• Secretaris Versteeglaan, Vleuten

In addition to our solar panel campaign, you can also get solar panels if your home is renovated. You will automatically be informed about this if this applies to you.

No. If you use the free solar panel scheme through Zonneplan, solar panels will be installed free of charge, and no financial contribution will be required, not even through a rent increase.

Vesteda wants to improve the energy performance of its buildings by installing solar panels. This increases the number of points that the building scores on the home valuation system, so it also improves the value of the building. To determine the maximum rent of a home, it is allocated points for aspects such as size, kitchen and bathroom facilities, and energy performance. Installing solar panels boosts the energy performance of your home, improving its quality and, in turn, increasing its number of points. The higher number of points currently only leads to a rent increase for tenants who already pay the maximum rent for their regulated rental property. However, even for those tenants, having free solar panels installed can still be a financial gain, as they can greatly reduce energy consumption. In addition, the number of points is influenced by official value of the property as determined by the municipality and the methodology of the home valuation system. These factors may also affect the number of points of your home.

If solar-panel installation forms part of a wider renovation that involves things like installing double glazing and insulating cavity walls and the roof, then the rent may be slightly increased.