Who Pays For The Power?

When homeowners invite house sitters to live on their properties — whether it be for a few days or even several months — clarity around expectations is key. One of the most common points of confusion that can arise between New Zealand house sitters and homeowners is who should pay for the utilities for the duration of the house sit – especially the power. While every house sit is different, having a clear understanding of standard practice can help avoid unnecessary misunderstandings and disagreements.

Power Is Usually Covered By The Homeowner

As a general rule Kiwi house sitters are not expected to pay for power. In the vast majority of cases — particularly with unpaid house sitting arrangements — the homeowner provides the sitter with free accommodation and free utilities in exchange for them taking care of the property and pets. In fact, when it comes to house sitting in New Zealand, around 95-99% of all house sits operate in this manner, with the homeowners absorbing the cost of power during the sitter’s stay. This has become the norm across most house sitting platforms and informal arrangements alike.

Ultimately, It’s The Homeowner’s Call

That said, it is the homeowner’s property, and thus they’re free to set the terms of the sit however they like. If they so choose then they can ask the sitter to cover some or all of the power used during their stay. However homeowners need to be aware that by doing so may significantly reduce their chances of finding a quality sitter. Because paying for power is a rare occurrence, many sitters will simply choose other house sitting jobs in NZ where all the utilities are included. Therefore, if the homeowner does decide to ask for a contribution, it’s important that they explain their reasoning clearly and to keep the request fair and reasonable.

A Middle Ground – Asking Sitters To Cover Excess Use

If homeowners are concerned about house sitters in New Zealand using significantly more power than usual and racking up huge bills (which is totally understandable because power prices are not cheap and they seem to be forever increasing) – by perhaps running heaters all day, leaving lights on, or regularly using high-draw appliances – then there is a fairer option, and that is asking the sitter to cover any electricity costs above normal usage. This approach allows homeowners to continue offering a standard, competitive sit while protecting themselves from unexpectedly high power bills.

To Make This Work:

Provide an average monthly power bill or recent invoices as a reference point.

Record the metre reading at the start and end of the sit.

Agree in writing that the sitter will cover any usage above the typical range.

Most NZ house sitters will see this as a reasonable compromise, especially on longer sits.

When Might A Sitter Expect To Pay For Power?

While uncommon, there are some scenarios where a sitter might reasonably be asked to contribute:

Very long-term sits (e.g. 6 months or more) where the homeowner is away indefinitely.

Minimal responsibility sits where there are no pets, gardens, or tasks to manage.

Paid house sits, where the sitter is being financially compensated and may have fewer expectations of a free ride.

Off-grid homes or properties with limited solar/battery systems, where power is a scarce or costly resource.

In such cases, it’s best that homeowners be upfront in their listings or communications, so sitters knows what to expect.

NOTE: A ‘newbie’ sitter, who is trying to break into the house sitting scene and is competing with a host of experienced sitters, may wish to offer paying some or all of the power during their stay as a means to help ‘get their foot in the door’, secure bookings, and start building up their references.

What To Include In A House Sitting Agreement

To prevent confusion and protect both parties, a written agreement should be employed and should include such facets as:

Who pays for electricity

What counts as “reasonable usage”

Whether excess usage will be charged to the sitter

Reference figures (e.g. average power bills)

Metre readings (especially for long-term sits)

Even a simple, informal agreement can go a long way toward avoiding problems later.

Final Words

Generally speaking, house sitters in NZ are not expected to pay for power, and asking them to do so — especially without offsetting responsibilities or clear communication — could make it harder for homeowners to find someone to look after their property. However, homeowners are free to set their own terms. If utility costs are a genuine concern, a fair compromise would be to ask the sitter to cover usage beyond the normal level. Clear expectations and mutual respect are the foundation of any successful house sitting arrangement.

For myself, as a sitter, free electricity is one of the perks of house sitting and thus I only accept sits where I’m not expected to cover power. But in saying that, I’m more than happy to pay for any excess usage. To date, this has never happened. I’m normally very conservative with electricity and so the bills stay way below what the homeowners typically use. Whenever I’m offered a sit on a new property I always make a point of asking the homeowners if they expect their sitters to cover the power, just to make sure there’re no misunderstandings should I decide to take the sit on.