We are looking to go to a site next May that charges for electric via a meter. The charge is .55p a kw. We have an Adria Adora Seine. I have no idea roughly how many kWh I will use. Does anyone have a rough average idea? Just want to get a rough idea what it may cost on top of the pitch fee. Many thanks.
Electric consumption
- Thread starter Andy Norfolk
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- Jul 18, 2017
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May should be warmer, but factor in using 10khw per day so about £5.50 on top of the pitch fee. If you use less, it is a bonus.
To keep down that charge you could use gas for running the fridge and heating, but beware a 6kg will only last about 5 days maximum.
The other alternative is of course if not in the caravan, switch off all the heating.
To keep down that charge you could use gas for running the fridge and heating, but beware a 6kg will only last about 5 days maximum.
The other alternative is of course if not in the caravan, switch off all the heating.
Mel
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- Mar 17, 2007
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We were on a metered site in early November. It was cold, temperatures were about 9 or 10 degrees I think. The charge was
£0.58 per KWH. We spent £38 for a 7 night stay. Just over a fiver a night. We had the blown air heating on electricity only and used it for 6 or 7 hours a day. Didn’t have it on overnight. We heated the water on electricity as well but just put it on for an hour in the morning and evening. Other than that it was lights, kettle, tv, fridge, microwave.
There were two adults in a two berth Sprite Alpine 2.
Hope this helps
Mel
£0.58 per KWH. We spent £38 for a 7 night stay. Just over a fiver a night. We had the blown air heating on electricity only and used it for 6 or 7 hours a day. Didn’t have it on overnight. We heated the water on electricity as well but just put it on for an hour in the morning and evening. Other than that it was lights, kettle, tv, fridge, microwave.
There were two adults in a two berth Sprite Alpine 2.
Hope this helps
Mel
- Dec 27, 2022
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Not quite, the kWh rate must be the same as the rate that the supplier pays, i.e. no mark up. That's not always the same as the domestic rate as a business premises (caravan sites) will have different rates to domestic and can be uncapped.
- Jun 20, 2005
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I should have qualified my statement. I refer to a some small CLs not large commercial sites.I accept an element of the standing charges may be be included but the the rate per kWh should still be the same as that paid by the Owner of the CL.
- Dec 27, 2022
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Yes agreed but that could still be higher than the domestic rate. We stayed at a CL attached to a sawmill and the rate was that paid by the sawmill. The owners house was on the other side of the sawmill on a different supply.
I did comment that the rate was high hence I got the explanation about the supplies.
- Mar 14, 2005
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I can understand the concern about the cost, but as you will have seen differnt sites may have different charges per kWh, so rather than think in terms of cost think in terms of the amount of energy you are using in kWh.
In principle given the same weather conditions and how long you spend in the caravan. you are likely to use the same amount of energy, even though the tariffs may be different so the cost will vary depending on where you are.
But even so , just as Hutch says, everyone,s usage is different, and if you are using electricity for heating, then it will become very weather dependant.
Space and water heating are the two big users of energy, so it might be worth doing the sums to see if using LPG might be cheaper than electricity - but even this is complicated, because if you use Calor gas, it is likely to cost more per kg than Propane purchased from builders merchants.
In principle given the same weather conditions and how long you spend in the caravan. you are likely to use the same amount of energy, even though the tariffs may be different so the cost will vary depending on where you are.
But even so , just as Hutch says, everyone,s usage is different, and if you are using electricity for heating, then it will become very weather dependant.
Space and water heating are the two big users of energy, so it might be worth doing the sums to see if using LPG might be cheaper than electricity - but even this is complicated, because if you use Calor gas, it is likely to cost more per kg than Propane purchased from builders merchants.
- Jul 18, 2017
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They are not allowed to add in any element of the standing charge. Generally CLs use the third phase of a 3 phase supply for the CL. A normal domestic supply probably could not handle the additional CL supply. Most sites without statics can get by on a 3 phase supply, but parks with statics will probably have a Half Hour supply.
In all cases they would probably be paying a commercial rate which generally is a lot higher than a domestic rate however only the cost of the kwh can be passed onto the customer. If they charge a higher rate and an element of the SC they would need a supplier's licence.
Historically I believe that it's been the other way round. When I monitored electricity use for a previous employer they paid around 70% of my domestic rate, and I was on the lowest tariff I could find. It's the same as any bulk purchase, businesses generally use much more than domestic dwellings so there is more competition for their business, hence their rate tends to be lower. It's a little different at the moment. As it was pointed out earlier, the energy price cap doesn't apply to commercial property but a quick Google shows that the average commercial rate has been broadly similar to the domestic rate this year.
It leads to an interesting question though. A caravan site can't charge you more than they pay for electricity (unless they are licenced as a supplier or distributer), but how could you check what they were paying? I doubt that asking to see their bills would be favourably received.
- Jun 20, 2005
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Frankly, this year in the very cold days spending circa £5.00 per 24 hours is fine with us. Please let’s not penny pinch. Or if don’t like it don’t use it
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- Jul 18, 2017
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That is correct for a large consumer of electric, but in comparison there is no way any caravan site is a large consumer. of electric like Hovis, Warburtons or a furnace.
Unfortunately we have to rely on trust when we are charged per kwh by any caravan site. A workaround is for a caravan site to charge a flat rate of an extra £5 or more per day for having the EHU connection. Perfectly legal.
I suppose that although we need to be aware of the charges on site, its equally important to remember that since we're not at home, the home usage will be less and will therefore offset some of the site cost.
- Jul 18, 2017
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That is true, but your fridge, deep fridge etc and heating will still be running so I not expect there to be a big difference? If going away for a couple of days we do switch off the hot water boiler and it is set to come back on the day before we return.
Depends of course but some folks homes are more electric than others. If you have electric heating it can be set lower. This time of year there'll be less lights on. You could switch off all the items normally left on standby.
It can all add up.
It can all add up.
- Jul 18, 2017
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We have air source heating which is powered with electric. The lights in the kitchen are LED and rest of house with exception of bathroom has those horrible energy saving lights.
I say horrible because although they are supposed to be same wattage and brightness as a normal light, they do not seem to give off the same amount of brightness plus they cost 3 or 4 times as much.
I reckon that our electric use is cut by 50% when we're away and the gas use is cut to 0%.
- Nov 11, 2009
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If we are away the electric usage is minimal as even with the fridge freezer running it is in a kitchen that is at a lower temperature than when we are at home. The gas central heating too will be much lower consumption as the thermostat will be turned down and the timer set to continuous. As we set off to return home we will turn the heating thermostat to run at a higher temperature so the house is warm the we get back.
- Mar 14, 2005
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Agreed regarding the cost of new "energy saving" bulbs, but they most definitely are not energy saving if they are the same Wattage and produce the same number of Lumens...... although they are supposed to be same wattage and brightness as a normal light, they do not seem to give off the same amount of brightness plus they cost 3 or 4 times as much.
The whole basis of: first the Compact fluorescent bulbs, and then the LED bulbs is they use fewer Watts to produce the same illumination .
- Nov 11, 2009
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I think the term should be “equivalent wattage” as it then helps people to relate to the light emission compared to a traditional incandescent lamp. It will take time for people to relate lumens to brightness. The old CFD energy savers should be binned as they are poor in comparison to the current led lamps.
- Jul 18, 2017
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Oooh! Time to be picky and show off
Luminance and Brightness are not the same thing.
Luminance, measured in Lumens, is a measure of the light emitted at the source and all things being equal is constant.
Brightness varies depending on distance. So the further away you are the dimmer the light source appears.
Todays lecture over.
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