New York City Rent Stabilization CodeNew York City Rent and Eviction RegulationsTwenty-Fourth Annual Update of Section B of Supplement No. 1 to Operational Bulletin 84-4 B. Permissible Charges for the Use and/or Initial Installation of an Air Conditioner for Both Rent Controlled and Rent Stabilized Housing Accommodations in New York City. This Annual Update reflects the amendments enacted by the Rent Regulation Reform Act of 1993, and is issued pursuant to Section 2527.11 of the Rent Stabilization Code, and Section 2209.8 of the New York City Rent and Eviction Regulations. An owner may charge a tenant $332.24* per annum per air conditioner ($27.69 per month) for the use of air conditioners in rent stabilized and rent controlled accommodations which were initially installed between October 1, 2009 and September 30, 2010 if electricity costs are included in the rent. For RENT STABILIZED APARTMENTS, this electrical inclusion charge shall take effect on October 1, 2009 and will thereafter be annually adjusted upward or downward depending upon whether the "Price Index of Operating Costs for Rent Stabilized Apartment Houses in New York City", prepared by the New York City Rent Guidelines Board (or such research company as the Rent Guidelines Board may choose)

, shows an increase or decrease in the cost of electricity for electrical inclusion buildings. * The 2008 charge (estimated average operating cost) per air conditioner of $374.31 per annum ($31.19 per month) fell to reflect a 11.24% decrease in the price of electricity for electrical inclusion buildings. See Rent Guidelines Board 2009 Price Index of Operating Costs, Report to the Board, New York City Rent Guidelines Board, Page 17, April 21, 2009. For air conditioners in rent stabilized accommodations in electrical inclusion buildings previously installed between October 1, 1985 and September 30, 2009, the allowable charge per annum is hereby decreased to $332.24 per air conditioner ($27.69 per month), effective October 1, 2009. Where a brand new air conditioner is purchased and installed by the owner with the rent controlled or rent stabilized tenant's written consent to pay for it, one-fortieth (1/40th) of the cost of the new air conditioner, including any cost of installation, but excluding finance charges, if any, may be included in the base rent.

In the case of a rent controlled apartment, the owner must notify DHCR of the rent increase and the increase shall be effective as of the first rent payment date following such notification. In the case of a rent stabilized apartment, separate notification to DHCR is not required, but should be included in the next annual rent registration statement, and the increase is effective on the first rent payment date following installation. Where the rent controlled or rent stabilized tenant pays for his or her own electricity and purchases and installs his or her own air conditioner between October 1, 2009 and September 30, 2010, a $5.00 per month per air conditioner charge will be payable to the owner only if the air conditioner protrudes beyond the window line. For RENT STABILIZED APARTMENTS, these charges, with the exception of the one-fortieth (1/40th) charge for the owner-purchased and installed brand new air conditioner, do not become part of the base rent for the purpose of computing any guidelines or other increases under the Rent Stabilization Law or Code.

For air conditioners initially installed prior to October 1, 1985, the permissible charge is dependent upon the lawful practice then in effect.ac wall unit with thermostat Owners can collect the charges from rent stabilized tenants without an order from DHCR. window ac units for carsHowever, an owner cannot collect the charges now for an air conditioner if the owner did not begin charging for the air conditioner at the time it was installed or within a reasonable period of time thereafter. how to measure a house for ac unitA reasonable period is generally considered to be that amount of time in which an owner would be expected to learn that the air conditioner was installed. These monthly charges remain collectible throughout the year even if the air conditioner is removed, i.e., during the winter months.

For RENT CONTROLLED APARTMENTS, with the exception of the one-fortieth (1/40th) charge for the owner-purchased and installed brand new air conditioner, the owner must apply to DHCR before collecting any of these charges. An owner may apply to DHCR by submitting the "Owner's Application for a Rent Increase Based on Increased Services, New Furnishing/Equipment/ Painting; and Tenant's Statement of Consent, Owner's Application for Air Conditioner Charges or For an Increase in Maximum Rent for Painting" (DHCR Form RN-79b). The increase is not collectible until an order to increase the rent is issued by DHCR. Where prior to October 1, 2009, collection of an air conditioner charge was ordered and approved in a specified dollar amount, that charge remains in effect for the current year. The electrical inclusion charge and the $5.00 per month charge for a tenant purchased and installed air conditioner in an electrical exclusion rent controlled apartment become part of the maximum collectible rent, but they do not affect the compounding of the maximum base rent.

For both RENT STABILIZED and RENT CONTROLLED APARTMENTS, for air conditioners initially installed prior to October 1, 1985, the permissible charge is dependent upon the lawful practice then in effect. Deputy Commissioner for Rent AdministrationUser ReviewedHow to Calculate Kilowatt Hours Four Methods:Kilowatt Hours CalculatorEstimating Kilowatt Hours from Appliance LabelsCalculating Kilowatt Hours from Amps and VoltageUsing a Power MeterCommunity Q&A Most household appliances have a wattage label on the back or bottom. This label lists the maximum amount of power the appliance can draw. To estimate total energy use, you'll want to convert this to kilowatt hours, or kWh. Find the wattage on the appliance label. Most high-power appliances have an energy label on the back or base of the appliance. Look here to find the wattage, listed as "W." This is usually the maximum power the device operates at, which may be much higher than the actual average wattage.[1] The steps below will find a rough estimate of kWh from this number, but your actual kWh usage is usually lower.

Some devices show a range of watts, such as "200–300W." It may be more accurate to choose the middle of this range, or 250W in this example. Multiply wattage by hours used each day. Watts measure power, or energy used over time. Multiplying by a unit of time gives you an answer in terms of energy, which is what matters for your electrical bill. Example: A large window fan rated at 250 watts runs for an average of 5 hours a day. The fan's daily watt-hours equal (250 watts) x (5 hours / day) = 1250 watt-hours per day. For air conditioning and heating units, make separate calculations for each season. Refrigerators only draw power about ⅓ of the time, or about 8 hours a day if you never unplug them. Divide the result by 1,000. A kilowatt is equivalent to 1,000 watts, so this step converts your answer from watt hours into kilowatt hours. Example: You've calculated that your fan uses 1250 watt hours of energy per day. (1250 watt hours / day) ÷ (1000 watts / 1 kilowatt) = 1.25 kilowatt hours per day.

Multiply your answer by the number of days you're measuring. Now you know how many kilowatt-hours (kWh) the device uses every day. To calculate your kWH per month or per year, just multiply by the number of days in that period. Example: Over the course of a 30-day month, your fan would use (1.25 kWh / day) x (30 days / month) = 37.5 kWh per month. Example: If you fan runs every day for a year, it would use (1.25 kWh / day) x (365 days / year) = 456.25 kWh per year. Multiply by the cost of electricity per kWh. Your electricity bill lists the cost per kilowatt hour. Multiply this number by the kWh to find the amount you can expect to pay. Example: If energy costs 17 cents/kWh, running the fan will cost (0.17 dollars / kWh) x (456.25 kWh / year) = $77.56 per year (rounded to the nearest cent). Remember that estimates based on the listed wattage is a maximum. In reality you would be charged less than this. If you're looking at a different area than the one you live in, search online to find the cost of electricity.

For US locations, start with the EIA website. Find the amps rating on your appliance. Some appliance labels do not list watts. In this situation, look for an amp or "A" measurement instead. Laptop and phone chargers may list two amp values. Use the one labeled input. Find the voltage in your region. In the United States and a few other countries, the standard household voltage is 120V. In the EU and most of the rest of the world, the voltage is between 220 and 240V. In the US, some large appliances such as washing machines may be plugged into special 240V circuits. Check the appliance label's voltage rating to find out. (The label only tells you the recommended voltage, but you can assume a professionally installed appliance matches this recommendation.) Multiple amps and volts together. Multiplying amps and volts gives you an answer in watts, or electrical power. Example: A microwave label lists 6.5 amps and is plugged into a 120V outlet. It consumes 6.5 amps x 120 volts = 780 watts.

Multiply by hours used per day. The wattage tells you the rate energy is consumed while the appliance is active. Multiply the wattage by the number of hours the device runs during an average day. Example: If the microwave runs for half an hour each day, multiply 780 watts x 0.5 hours / day = 390 watt hours per day.This converts from watt hours to kilowatt hours. Example: 390 watt hours / day ÷ 1000 watts / kilowatt = 0.39 kilowatt hours per day. Multiply to find the kilowatt hours for a larger time period. For example, if you want to find out how many kilowatt hours you'll be charged for during a 31-day billing cycle, multiply your answer by 31 days. Example: 0.39 kilowatt hours / day x 31 days = 12.09 kilowatt hours. Purchase a power meter online. Also called a watt meter or kilowatt meter, this device measures the actual power your appliance uses. This is typically more accurate than using the appliance's label info. If you're familiar with electrician's tools, you may be able to use a multimeter instead.

This requires access to the appliance's wiring while it is plugged in. Needless to say, don't disassemble anything unless you know what you're doing. Plug the meter between the outlet and the appliance. Measure the kilowatt hours. Set your power meter to display kilowatt hours. As long as you keep the power meter connected, it should calculate the total kilowatt hours of the attached appliance. If your power meter only measures watts, you can use the method above to calculate kilowatt hours from that measurement. Refer to the power meter instructions if you're not sure how to change its settings. Use the appliance as you would normally. Find your monthly or annual kilowatt hours. The kilowatt hours displayed on the meter is a running total from the time the device was plugged in. You can multiply this number to estimate your kWh over a longer time period. For example, let's say the meter has been running for 5 days, and you want to find the 30-day estimate.