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Dear tenants,
In this first newsletter of the new year, first of all, we wish you a wonderful year! We share good news and not so good news about the cost of energy, discuss the window film project, give tips on how to combat stealth consumption and use electricity safely. Finally, we are happy to share the opening of a group show by Root Gallery at The Archives on Saturday, Jan. 14, tomorrow. A great time to celebrate the new year!
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We hope 2023 brings many wonderful things for you, new work and/or commissions, exhibitions, presentations, shows, performances and much more.
Looking back at last year, it has been an uncertain year for many of you. Especially with the huge increase in energy costs for your workspace and the subsequent inflation that has affected the cost of renting.
It has also been a tough year for SKAR. We have noticed that the demand for everything related to construction and maintenance is so great that a lot of work remains on hold longer, contractors have little time, and prices for materials and labor are rising sharply.
At the same time, it has also been a year in which we can speak of a breakthrough. After a year and a half of research, SKAR and the municipality of Rotterdam were able to take the decision that all of the municipality's and SKAR's buildings will be made more sustainable, making our tenants less vulnerable to energy price increases in the future. We are still at the beginning, but hope to take some concrete steps this year.
Soon we will send you an invitation to a meeting to update you on developments.
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Increase service charges and the price ceiling
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We also have less good news. Because our energy suppliers have again increased the advances for energy to SKAR, SKAR is unfortunately forced to increase the advances to its tenants as well. Even though there are signs that the price of energy is going down, it may be some time before the effect trickles down to the bills SKAR has to pay.
So we still spend more money on energy in the properties than we receive in advances from you. And we also have to be able to meet our payment obligations. Soon you will receive more information about what that will mean per property.
We are currently working hard to give you more insight into last year's energy consumption and the final bill. You can expect more information on this, depending on each building, in the coming months.
Service charge consultation
Are you very concerned about the new 2023 service charge and/or the 2022 settlement?
SKAR holds a (telephone) consultation hour every week on Thursdays from 10:00-12:00 for tenants who have questions about service costs by calling 010-4127828. You can also drop by at these times, just send your questions and proposal for date and time in advance to info@skar-ateliers.nl.
TEK scheme
We hope that prices for gas and electricity will normalize next year, but energy suppliers are still not releasing much about this. SKAR is investigating whether it can meet the conditions set for SME companies to qualify for a price cap for all its premises in the so-called TEK scheme (Tegemoetkoming Energiekosten). That seems to look positive. We will come back to this as soon as we have more news.
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Better insulated windows through frame film
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In many properties last month, tenants enthusiastically started using the window frame film offered to turn their single-glazed windows into double-glazed windows. As you know, frame film insulates in both winter and summer, lasts for several years, and is basically easy for tenants to apply themselves.
Very good to see how tenants have started doing this themselves, such as in the studio building on Coral Street and in Drievriendenstraat. Tess Martin even made an extensive instructional video with tips and tricks on applying window film, which she is happy to share with all tenants.
If your building has not yet ordered window frame film, be quick! We are giving you one more opportunity to order this film, the new deadline is Thursday, January 19. Look here for the explanation on how to do this.
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Energy conservation and stealth
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SKAR has already taken a number of measures over the past year to reduce energy consumption for tenants. During the summer months, for example, many boilers were turned off, the base temperature of the central heating boiler was adjusted lower, and time blocks were set for the boiler where possible.
Prevent stealth
As a result of the insulation course that SKAR organized for tenants last December 2 in collaboration with Wijk Energie Werkt, more tips emerged about saving energy for your workspace. Did you know that many appliances unknowingly guzzle quite a bit of energy?
All appliances that get hot as soon as they are turned on are stealth consumers.
A little arithmetic shows:
- 50W lamp on 4h per day costs: 50W x 4h x 365 /1000 x €0.9= €66 /year
- Computer standby on: 5W x 20h x 365 /1000 x €0.9 = €33 /year
- Ziggo box in standby: 30W x 20h x 365 /1000 x €0.9= € 201 €/year (tip for home)
You can roughly use the following formula to calculate the consumption (depending on the electricity price): Wattage x hours per day x 365 /1000 x electricity price €0.9= ...... €/year
Replace old bulbs
Replacing the old bulbs in your studio with new LED bulbs or LED fluorescents (with a new starter) can make a big difference. When replacing and selecting lamp, pay attention to the socket, color, wattage/lumen and whether or not the lamp is dimmable. Furthermore, using less is always a savings. For example, unplug appliances when you are not using them. You can also use time switches or power strips that allow you to turn off all turned-on appliances at once via the power strip. Nowadays there are also smart plugs that can measure energy consumption (and thus also standby consumption).
Reduce heat demand
In addition, of course, lowering your heat requirements is the first step. Look for the draft spots in your studio on cold days with high winds to find out where heat leaks out and make sure you insulate all these spots. We assume that you have probably already been doing quite a bit to take these actions and thereby contribute to energy conservation.
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Work safely with electricity
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SKAR would like to emphatically remind all tenants to use electricity safely. Tenants themselves are responsible for the responsible and safe use of electricity. This means that it is very important not to overload the current electrical supply in your own studio. This causes short circuits, and if this happens in the tenant's absence, there can be a fire hazard. The responsibility for this, including insurance, lies with the tenant.
For safety, please note the following:
- always turn off all electrical appliances when leaving your studio (also better because of standby power consumption);
- do not connect too many appliances to one outlet to avoid overloading;
- use only good quality electrical appliances;
- be careful with alternative heat sources;
- use only certified extension cords with surge protection.
Tenants at SKAR rent space under the terms of "as is," i.e., with the existing facilities. If your work requires more electricity than is available in the current state of your workspace, you can of course contact SKAR to discuss your request. The costs for any electrical adjustments in the studio are for the tenant.
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Root Gallery, opening Jan. 14, 7 p.m.
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Root Gallery, on the sixth floor of The Archive, opens the new year with an impressive group exhibition curated with many new works by all the artists represented by Root. The exhibition includes new kinetic artworks by Freerk Wilbers, new sculptural work by Donald Schenkel, Quinda Verheul and Jochem Esser, a new series of photographs by Sophie de Vos, and the results of in-depth research into materials, pigments and imagery leading to beautiful translations of previously developed work by Jan Kuhlemeier, Lisette Schumacher, Saïd Kinos and Karen van de Vliet.
The opening will take place on Saturday, Jan. 14, from 7 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. at 52 Robert Fruin Street.
The exhibition will be on display during opening hours until March 11, 2023.
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Images:
Three Friends street, photo Frank Hanswijk
Tenants in Coral Street busy with window film, photo Frank Stoks
In Order To Bloom, photo by Sophie de Vos
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