This demonstrates why campsites want to meter electricity

[JTQ]

We are not wasteful with electric. Indeed it is difficult to be with 16 / 10 amp (or lower) trips on the pitch.

I would contend otherwise, that offers the potential to use 3.25 units per hour, with there being 24 of those every day. Seventy eight at a modest 25.6 per unit charge gets us to £20.

Of course not realistic with any reasonable people.
However, we have witnessed a hybrid being plugged in when dark on a CS, each evening. Hopefully, they had arranged with the site owner to do so.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Everyone is entitled to their own preferences, and as there are no regulations that require a meter or pre paid or inclusive price you are free to make your own choices about which sites to use or not.

My own preference is to pay for what I use, so I'm quite happy to have a metered pitch (if I were still caravanning) and I knew the price per kWh before I start, but that doesn't preclude me using an inclusive site if it was where I wanted to stay.

I do dislike any system where you might end up paying for more than you use, so I would be looking for sites that refund unused energy. Arguably if they do not refund unused purchased units, they are effectively overcharging for the ones you have used, which is not allowed by the resale of energy regulations.

As others have said sites that include electricity within the overall site fee will set their fees based on how their cost have historically arisen. So if some users have abused the scheme, the sites fees will be higher raised to cover similar abuses, so every one pays more. Is that fair?

 

[Buckman]

Although we like to think we are not big users as we no longer go out in the cooler months, to us it is not a case of being fair, but rather case of convenience.
When we last stayed on a site with metered electric there was a flat charge of £3.50 per day, but a fully serviced pitch with water and waste water hookup was only £26 a night.

 

[Dustydog]

Although we like to think we are not big users as we no longer go out in the cooler months, to us it is not a case of being fair, but rather case of convenience.
When we last stayed on a site with metered electric there was a flat charge of £3.50 per day, but a fully serviced pitch with water and waste water hookup was only £26 a night.

£29.50 inclusive? Sounds good to me

 

[Buckman]

£29.50 inclusive? Sounds good to me

Yes it was a very nice site, but unfortunately they have had to close as the local council decided they need a road right through the middle of the property which was actually a working farm.

 

[Martin_E]

It’s probably been said before, it’s generally the few that muck everything up for the majority, I have no sympathy for them that leave the heating on for a week while they are not onsite, then sit in the awning with heaters, extra fridge and huge tv, , let it rain down on them!
I do fell sorry for the sensible ones though. Sadly the sites are under the cosh from leccy firms, I guess they have two choices, raise the pitch price so everyone pays for the few, or meter everyone so the few cover the sensible ones

 

[Gafferbill]

......a site we have used several times has now installed electricity meters on each plot.
These are £1 coin meters!
I am not faffing about feeding a meter with coins!!...

 

[Beardy]

......a site we have used several times has now installed electricity meters on each plot.
These are £1 coin meters!
I am not faffing about feeding a meter with coins!!...

I guess the site just lost a customer. Out of interest, did they reduce the pitch fees when they installed the meters?

 

[Gafferbill]

...the site is a Cl and used to charge £25 with EHU all in.
The charge is now £25 + meter charges.
Fair enough cost wise....but having to have a supply of coins and feed a meter possibly in the early hours in the rain

 

[Buckman]

...the site is a Cl and used to charge £25 with EHU all in.
The charge is now £25 + meter charges.
Fair enough cost wise....but having to have a supply of coins and feed a meter possibly in the early hours in the rain

The CL that we often use has fully serviced pitches and in a very good location and the charge is £23 a night incl EHU.

 

[otherclive]

The CL that we often use has fully serviced pitches and in a very good location and the charge is £23 a night incl EHU.

I guess there will be variations very much dependent on the way the CL is managed, utilisation and type of people using it. So there’s not going to be one size fits all. But I would be in favour of metering although a pound coin meter is a strange option in this day and age.

 

[Buckman]

I guess there will be variations very much dependent on the way the CL is managed, utilisation and type of people using it. So there’s not going to be one size fits all. But I would be in favour of metering although a pound coin meter is a strange option in this day and age.

For a CL to fit metering, the owner is probably looking in excess of +£2000 for the 5 meters plus labour. This outlay needs to be recouped somehow so in addition to the customer paying for metering the owner probably has to either keep the pith fee the same or increase the pitch fee.

 

[RogerL]

For a CL to fit metering, the owner is probably looking in excess of +£2000 for the 5 meters plus labour. This outlay needs to be recouped somehow so in addition to the customer paying for metering the owner probably has to either keep the pith fee the same or increase the pitch fee.

Coin meters are £200 (ish) each but a simple meter to record a pitch's use is only £20 each - the labour is probably about the same for each type.

From the caravanner's point of view, installing a simple meter and settling up at the end of the stay is best - but even better is when a fixed no of kw per night is included in the pitch fee - eg, 10 kw/night at one we stayed at.

 

[Buckman]

Coin meters are £200 (ish) each but a simple meter to record a pitch's use is only £20 each - the labour is probably about the same for each type.

From the caravanner's point of view, installing a simple meter and settling up at the end of the stay is best - but even better is when a fixed no of kw per night is included in the pitch fee - eg, 10 kw/night at one we stayed at.

Hmm I wonder how many will simply drive out the gate and not bother to pay if a simple meter is used? It will happen if people think they can get away with it!

 

[Raywood]

If they have fitted the simple meter I think they will take a deposit to cover anticipated use. Having these and needing everyone to return as they leave will be an administrative problem for all but the smallest sites, so I doubt there will be many go that way.

 

[Buckman]

If they have fitted the simple meter I think they will take a deposit to cover anticipated use. Having these and needing everyone to return as they leave will be an administrative problem for all but the smallest sites, so I doubt there will be many go that way.

Not being negative, but for a CL owner this could cause complications as the owner will need to check the meter when the customer departs and before the next customer arrives. Many CL owners simply do not have the time. Also there may be a need to refund the customer any outstanding balance. I doubt if many CL owners will want the hassle.

Large sites may be able to go better if they had Smart meters and able to do a reading remotely. For a site owner it may be simpler to increase the cost of the pitch in the cooler months?

 

[ProfJohnL]

I'm sure that if site operators have decided to meter electricity, they will have looked at the logistics, and chosen a method that suites their particular business.

It's a case of "needs must" and if the site operator has gone for meter that needs to be read, then it's up to them to work out how to do it.

 

[Dustydog]

A CL charging £25 per night FSP 16 amp can no longer maintain that level of charge with rising power costs.
Our present site on Exmoor uses the new Relec card system. The staff keep an eye on things. No problem.
Another up in North Yorkshire uses a very simple coin system .we know in the height of the winter we probably need £5 nightly. Not a big deal to keep an eye on it.
Otherwise I can see CLs charging£35 a night all inclusive just to resin solvent

 

[RogerL]

A CL charging £25 per night FSP 16 amp can no longer maintain that level of charge with rising power costs.
Our present site on Exmoor uses the new Relec card system. The staff keep an eye on things. No problem.
Another up in North Yorkshire uses a very simple coin system .we know in the height of the winter we probably need £5 nightly. Not a big deal to keep an eye on it.
Otherwise I can see CLs charging£35 a night all inclusive just to resin solvent

Electric costs are probably 4x the price they were before the Ukraine war - so the increase in winter is probably up from £1.25 to £5 per night - an increase of £3.75 - so how does that justify a £10/night increase?

 

[ProfJohnL]

We all know we have been experiencing inflation, largely driven by highly volatile energy prices over the last 24 months. It would unreasonable to expect any business to hold product or service prices if it prevented them from making a minimal profit - not even not for profit organisations have to produce some surplus to offset their own costs increase.

Even caravanners must expect to see site fees increase with the rates of inflation we have seen, so it's going to impact the cost of using a touring caravan.

As caravans have tried to keep up to date with modern trends, we have seen an explosion of electrical gadgets which means more electricity is going to be consumed, and this has impacted the caravan sites infrastructures. More are providing EHU's, all of which is going to push up caravan sites electricity usage.

When a site operator sees one particular aspect of the business costs such as energy spiralling out of proportion, it's entirely reasonable for them to look at ways to buffer their exposure to such costs especially when its a result of customer usage. Ultimately the cost increases in electricity have to be passed onto their customers, and without any doubt the fairest way not only for the site operator but also the customer is to charge for the energy used by each customer.

Because all the electricity a caravan uses is derived from the EHU it's relatively simple and logical for sites to introduce metering for each pitch. How each site chooses to meter and charge under present day legislation is broadly down to the site operator own choice, but it will either be pre payment systems, or possibly retrospective charge for units used.

Sites might just continue with an all inclusive site fee, which could be based on typical energy usage, but that exposes the site operator to those customers take advantage of the scheme and are wasteful, ultimately pushing up the costs for everyone.

Customer will inevitably pass their view of value for money by avoiding sites whose fees are too high.

 

[Buckman]

Although in a caravan today there are many more electrical gadgets , many work off 12v and are low wattage so a lot less power is used. On a non EHU pitch using all our gadgets including the TV we could last about 2 days or maybe more on battery.

 

[JTQ]

Ultimately the cost increases in electricity have to be passed onto their customers, and without any doubt the fairest way not only for the site operator but also the customer is to charge for the energy used by each customer.

Sites might just continue with an all inclusive site fee, which could be based on typical energy usage, but that exposes the site operator to those customers take advantage of the scheme and are wasteful, ultimately pushing up the costs for everyone.

Both points absolutely "hitting the nail on the head" in respect to this thread's subject "This demonstrates why campsites want to meter electricity" and my own personal view.
I am all for helping fellow campers, of all "flavours" but I "draw the line" at extending it into funding those who want to indirectly financially exploit me, and very directly exploit site owners.

In respect to the methodology of charging; I would find feeding £1 or £2 coins into a meter tedious. Plus, I struggle in this reducing cash usage age to find it when needed for car parking, where it is increasingly needed in "shed loads" now, or even increasingly loos.

 

[Buckman]

In respect to the methodology of charging; I would find feeding £1 or £2 coins into a meter tedious. Plus, I struggle in this reducing cash usage age to find it when needed for car parking, where it is increasingly needed in "shed loads" now, or even increasingly loos.

Just be thankful you do not live in Zimbabwe where you need a wheelbarrow of coins to pay for a loaf of bread!

 

[ProfJohnL]

Both points absolutely "hitting the nail on the head" in respect to this thread's subject "This demonstrates why campsites want to meter electricity" and my own personal view.
I am all for helping fellow campers, of all "flavours" but I "draw the line" at extending it into funding those who want to indirectly financially exploit me, and very directly exploit site owners.

In respect to the methodology of charging; I would find feeding £1 or £2 coins into a meter tedious. Plus, I struggle in this reducing cash usage age to find it when needed for car parking, where it is increasingly needed in "shed loads" now, or even increasingly loos.

In many hospitality settings including hotels, it quite common for the host to open a tab on a debit or credit card. The same process could be used by camp sites with automatic charging for electricity used.

 

[Raywood]

Certainly a possibility although you may then get arguments over the amount charged for.