This article only applies to Long Stay. Click here to find more information about the difference between Long Stay and Short Stay housing.

When will my house be made more sustainable?

Over the next few years, we will practice making our rooms and homes more sustainable step by step. We do this by installing solar panels on our buildings, extra insulation, replacing single glazing, replacing cooking on gas with electric cooking and making installations for heat in our buildings more sustainable. We get to work at times when we are also doing other maintenance work, such as when we replace window frames, repair the roof or when we install new kitchens or bathrooms. Making all our buildings more sustainable will take a very long time, so we cannot yet give an exact schedule of when which building will be made more sustainable. When the time comes, we will contact you!

When will my house get solar panels?

We place solar panels on roofs that have just been renewed. We then immediately check whether the roof is solid enough, whether the position of the roof is good for generating solar energy and whether the connection to the energy network is possible because of grid congestion. Unfortunately, we can't share a schedule with you. When your student complex gets solar panels, you will be notified. By the way, further down this page you will find more information about solar panels.

When will my house get double glazing?

Many urban buildings in Utrecht still have single glazing. During painting, we replace the single glass with insulated glass. In other student complexes where there is still single glazing, this will be replaced during major maintenance moments starting in 2028.

When will my home change from gas cooking to electric cooking?

In most cases, when we replace the kitchen(s) in your home, we also upgrade it to electric cooking. If you want to switch to electric cooking sooner, we also have options for that. It is important that your home is already heated by district heating. If it is, you can check here: https://www.sshxl.nl/energieprijzen. We may reject your application for electric cooking. This may be because it is not technically feasible, or if we are planning a kitchen renovation or new boiler within five years. Contact us via info@sshxl.nl for more information!

When will I go off gas?

Heating your home without gas requires a lot of electricity. In many places in the Netherlands, there is now too little electricity to provide this. It is therefore not always possible to go completely off gas. We are therefore starting to insulate our homes. We do this, for example, at the roof and with new insulation glass. We also install solar panels (if possible) and, if possible, we remove the cooking gas.

What do we do with the E, F and G labels?

For houses with an E, F or G label, we apply additional maintenance measures to increase these labels to at least label D. For now, this only applies to self-contained accommodation.

What is my energy label?

You'll find information about your energy label on My SSH (tab 'My accommodation').

What can I already do myself?

If you live together and share energy bills, you can make arrangements with your roommates to use as little energy as possible. You can apply the well-known tips of taking shorter showers or installing draft strips. Want tips for saving energy? Then click here. It is also possible in several municipalities to have an energy coach visit you. This coach looks at where you can easily make your home more sustainable. Do you suffer from drafts or do you need repairs? Then submit a repair request via My SSH.

We realize that it is difficult to save energy and see the immediate effect of this when you have a collective settlement, yet it always makes sense to save energy!

Do we have to pay to use solar panels?  

Solar panels weigh into the amount of your home's energy label; this counts towards your net rent. Changes to this always take place after you move in. 

What happens to the power generated from solar panels?

We use the power for electricity in your building. Sometimes for electricity in the common areas and otherwise for your own electric bill.

Is the power generated for the common areas, or also for the rooms and apartments?  

This depends on the electricity meter in your building. Do you live in a student complex with one single electricity meter for the whole building (e.g. Casa Confetti)? Then you can use the energy from the solar panels for your own room. Do you live in a student complex with an individual electricity meter per room (for example Warande and Cambridgelaan)? Then we connect the solar panels to the electricity meter for communal areas. Even then you benefit from the generated energy. This is because you pay separately for electricity in the common areas via the service costs.

Are we going to pay less for electricity and/or service charges? 

We hope so, of course, but electricity has become significantly more expensive in recent years. Also, the government is working on a policy where the energy certification of your home will count in the rental price. Therefore, you may have to pay more rent in the future if you use solar panels. How much this will be, we don’t know yet. 

If more power is generated than used, do we get money back? 

Sometimes yes, but this varies per student complex. With a single electricity meter for the building (large consumption connection) we are not allowed to deliver electricity back to the network. The waiting list for this is a few years. Do you live in a student house with an individual electricity meter per room, for example in one of our buildings in the city of Utrecht? Then you may receive money back. However, we do not aim to generate as much power as possible. It costs a lot of money to install solar panels, and a lot of power does not always generate extra money. Our goal is to reduce the cost of electricity as much as possible for all students living with SSH.

Should we turn on appliances, such as the washing machine, at times when the sun is shining? 

Yes, please! You can use the electricity from the solar panels. This is good for the environment. 

Hot summers are becoming more common. Is the temperature in your accommodation getting too high? If so, you may suffer from heat stress.

What is heat stress?

Hot summers are becoming more common. As a result, it can stay warm inside your accommodation for longer. Is the temperature in your room or home getting too high? If so, you may experience heat stress. You can recognise heat stress by symptoms such as tiredness, thirst, excessive sweating, dizziness and headaches.

How do I know if my accommodation is getting too hot?

There isn’t a single specific temperature at which a living space is officially too hot. Your living space may be too hot if you’ve already followed all the tips below, but it remains very hot for several days in a row, even in the evening. Symptoms such as tiredness, sweating, dizziness and headaches are also warning signs.

How can I measure the temperature in my accommodation?

Hang your thermometer at a height of at least 1.5 metres and out of direct sunlight.

What can I do to reduce the heat in my accommodation?

• Keep curtains or other sun blinds closed on the side facing the sun.
• Open windows early in the morning and late in the evening to let in fresh air. If possible, do this at night as well.
• Agree with your housemates to open windows and doors opposite each other so that air can flow through the house.
• Use ventilation grilles and ensure they are not blocked.
• Use heat-emitting appliances, such as ovens, tumble dryers, televisions and laptops, as little as possible.
• Use a fan to cool down.
• If possible, place a bowl of cold water or ice in front of the fan.

Are there any guidelines on heat stress?

For homes built on or after 1 January 2021, there is already a standard for determining whether a living space becomes too hot. This is the TOjuli standard. For homes built before 1 January 2021, no such standard exists. It is expected that, from mid-2027, there will also be a measurement method to assess heat stress in older homes. As soon as we know more about this, we will update the information on this page.

What can I do if I am experiencing heat stress?

Please contact us if you are experiencing heat stress. Please also let us know how hot your accommodation is and how long you have been experiencing heat-related issues. Together, we will look at what options are available. The approach varies depending on the building and the situation.