# Is it okay to pay for energy & cleaner?
**URL:** https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/is-it-okay-to-pay-for-energy-cleaner/76359
**Category:** Sitter Questions, Advice & Chat
**Created:** [21 April 2026 18:15 UTC](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/is-it-okay-to-pay-for-energy-cleaner/76359 "2026-04-21T18:15:09Z")
**Posts on this page:** 15
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@Colin](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [23 April 2026 05:44 UTC](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/is-it-okay-to-pay-for-energy-cleaner/76359/43 "2026-04-23T05:44:06Z")
I don’t know how you do it - We were once given half a box of M&S macaroons and thought we’d hit the jackpot!
---
### Author:  [@Maggie8K](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/u/Maggie8K)
#### Post date: [23 April 2026 06:09 UTC](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/is-it-okay-to-pay-for-energy-cleaner/76359/44 "2026-04-23T06:09:49Z")
I was actually surprised by how warm the Brits were. I had worked with many Brits over the years, who were warm and fun, but that was in career contexts, where we were collaborating or I was asked to advise. I thought that THS hosting might mean Brits would be more reserved. But no, they turned out to be as friendly and chatty as Americans. (My primary London host was an Italian, who’d lived for a long time in the U.K.)
---
### Author:  [@Avamyst11](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/u/Avamyst11)
#### Post date: [23 April 2026 14:11 UTC](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/is-it-okay-to-pay-for-energy-cleaner/76359/45 "2026-04-23T14:11:05Z")
Totally agree with you. I have done several sits in the most exclusive, unique waterfront locations one could imagine, all in the New York City/Long Island area. Never in a million years would I expect to pay for something like electricity of all things. People who live in such homes in such locations can clearly afford the electricity in exchange for loving care of their pet! I also do paid petsitting, and even my paying clients have never come close to asking for money, and several of them also have their housecleaner come while I’m there.
---
### Author:  [@NETime](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/u/NETime)
#### Post date: [24 April 2026 17:10 UTC](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/is-it-okay-to-pay-for-energy-cleaner/76359/46 "2026-04-24T17:10:54Z")
I did a sit arranged outside of THS (we knew the person and had a good relationship). It was all fine until she mentioned that I’d have to pay the house cleaners when they came for their regularly scheduled cleaning near the end of the sit. She was surprised I was surprised and asked me if I’d prefer to clean the house myself. I said no and paid the cleaners.
But the truth was I had been cleaning up after myself all along and what the cleaners took care of was mostly all the fur from the three cats, plus parts of the house that i hadn’t even used. I find that homeowners don’t factor in that a lot of what needs to be cleaned up is due to the pets and not the sitter. And that would be true if they were home instead of having a sitter.
I know how much that needs to be cleaned is due to me, but homeowners are used to seeing the pet mess as part of life in their house and not separate from human activity.
---
### Author:  [@Katie](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/u/Katie)
#### Post date: [24 April 2026 18:31 UTC](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/is-it-okay-to-pay-for-energy-cleaner/76359/47 "2026-04-24T18:31:18Z")
> [@Maggie8K](#):
>
> I avoid problems that a number of sitters struggle with, like not getting welcome guides or being messed with on the hosts’ departure and return times. During video chats, I let hosts know that I’ll make travel plans after I get their WGs (I don’t care on what platform or format) and their departure and return times in writing (so I can arrange travel logistics with less room for mistakes).
Do you mention in your profile the need to receive the WG? I’ve let it go a few times for newer hosts, but regret doing so.
---
### Author:  [@Maggie8K](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/u/Maggie8K)
#### Post date: [26 April 2026 06:24 UTC](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/is-it-okay-to-pay-for-energy-cleaner/76359/48 "2026-04-26T06:24:20Z")
No, I do that during the video chat. Never have had a problem getting a welcome guide (in whatever format — I don’t have a preference). I wouldn’t sit without one, because stuff like emergency contacts, vet account info, spare keys are important to me.
I see sitting as a partnership and, if a host can’t or won’t get it together to help set up a sitter for success, then to me they’re clearly not worth sitting for.
And I won’t ask a bunch of Qs to extract info in lieu of a welcome guide. To me, it’s already telling if the host doesn’t address that on their own.
I ask few Qs during video chats and yet can gauge hosts effectively. I do that by simply observing what hosts ask and how they ask it. To me, sitters asking a bunch of WG questions during a video chat unnecessarily clutters the chat.
---
### Author:  [@Newpetlover](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/u/Newpetlover)
#### Post date: [26 April 2026 08:38 UTC](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/is-it-okay-to-pay-for-energy-cleaner/76359/49 "2026-04-26T08:38:08Z")
> [@Maggie8K](#):
>
> sitters asking a bunch of WG questions during a video chat unnecessarily clutters the chat.
What I ask is if their WG includes all relevant information I don’t need that information during the chat but I need to make the HO aware that I need them to include it in the WG.
---
### Author:  [@Maggie8K](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/u/Maggie8K)
#### Post date: [26 April 2026 08:46 UTC](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/is-it-okay-to-pay-for-energy-cleaner/76359/50 "2026-04-26T08:46:32Z")
I just tell them I’ll make travel plans after I receive the WG. I don’t tell them what to put in it. Haven’t had to. But I screen listings so I end up with hosts who’ve managed to read the WG questions/format and use common sense. If they can’t manage that on their own, that would be a great sign for me to avoid them. That hasn’t come up.
Note: Even if the hosts end up using another format/platform to produce a WG, they should be reading the THS-provided Qs/sections for welcome guides. To me, no need for me to repeat that. If they’re not doing that, I’m not interested in hand-holding them.
---
### Author:  [@Pumpkin](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/u/Pumpkin)
#### Post date: [28 April 2026 14:26 UTC](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/is-it-okay-to-pay-for-energy-cleaner/76359/51 "2026-04-28T14:26:03Z")
May I ask how you found the listing? Scrolling through all Amsterdam listings would be endless… Thanks.
---
### Author:  [@Shyone](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/u/Shyone)
#### Post date: [28 April 2026 15:22 UTC](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/is-it-okay-to-pay-for-energy-cleaner/76359/52 "2026-04-28T15:22:06Z")
Look for Adorable cat in the heart of Amsterdam
---
### Author:  [@Snowbird](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/u/Snowbird)
#### Post date: [28 April 2026 19:14 UTC](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/is-it-okay-to-pay-for-energy-cleaner/76359/53 "2026-04-28T19:14:50Z")
@Pumpkin When you’re trying to find a listing that’s discussed in a post, changing the _ **sort by** _ to _ **distance** _ can often zero in and/or reduce the number of relevant listings. I’ve found this works both on the website and for those showing on the app as _reviewing_ or _no longer in need of a sitter_. 🧐
---
### Author:  [@andrealovesanimals](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/u/andrealovesanimals)
#### Post date: [28 April 2026 20:11 UTC](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/is-it-okay-to-pay-for-energy-cleaner/76359/54 "2026-04-28T20:11:50Z")
> [@Pumpkin](#):
>
> Scrolling through all Amsterdam listings
That is exactly what I did. Another reason to rethink my amount of time spent online… 🤪
---
### Author:  [@Pumpkin](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/u/Pumpkin)
#### Post date: [29 April 2026 19:17 UTC](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/is-it-okay-to-pay-for-energy-cleaner/76359/55 "2026-04-29T19:17:46Z")
Good point, thanks
---
### Author:  [@Pumpkin](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/u/Pumpkin)
#### Post date: [29 April 2026 19:21 UTC](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/is-it-okay-to-pay-for-energy-cleaner/76359/56 "2026-04-29T19:21:41Z")
Thanks, found it. And I would never apply 😉
---
### Author:  [@systaran](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/u/systaran)
#### Post date: [29 April 2026 20:25 UTC](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/is-it-okay-to-pay-for-energy-cleaner/76359/57 "2026-04-29T20:25:59Z")
Just saw another listing in Amsterdam that says “because I’ll be away for almost two months, asking for addition in terms of rent.”
It already went to reviewing in the time I was writing this. I guess hosts with listings in desirable cities can get away with anything.
[Previous page](https://forum.trustedhousesitters.com/t/is-it-okay-to-pay-for-energy-cleaner/76359.md?page=2)