Hi all, just a quick one just booked to beacons house cs for half term, i saw that they have metered hook ups does this mean i have to pay for electric.
AbbeyOwner
AbbeyOwner
What does the term metered EHU mean?
- Thread starter AbbeyOwner
- Start date
This is probably the future for caravanners, as electric equipment proliferates in new caravans.
The sites that do this, require you to pre-pay onto a magnetic card which is then deducted by the meter - problem is they don't give refund on unused spend.
In the middle of this summer's heatwave, I was on a CL that had meters fitted but not used for charging - our usage averaged 80p/day over the two weeks - that was without any heating in use, of course.
The sites that do this, require you to pre-pay onto a magnetic card which is then deducted by the meter - problem is they don't give refund on unused spend.
In the middle of this summer's heatwave, I was on a CL that had meters fitted but not used for charging - our usage averaged 80p/day over the two weeks - that was without any heating in use, of course.
Apparently, according to the website the price for electric is included, and I gurantee it will be cold at october.RogerL said:
I stayed on a site in Dawlish which used the cards, they were availible in £1.00 and £5.00 amounts
This site refunded any Un-Used cards but Not part used ones, I bought the £1,00 ones
Same as roger about 80 to 90p a day
If the web site says electric included where did you read it's metered?
Edit; Just had a look at there web site and it just says
16amp Electric Hook Up
This site refunded any Un-Used cards but Not part used ones, I bought the £1,00 ones
Same as roger about 80 to 90p a day
If the web site says electric included where did you read it's metered?
Edit; Just had a look at there web site and it just says
16amp Electric Hook Up
At least meters allow those who don't leave the heating and water heaters, or heat awnings 24/7 to cease subsiding those who do.
otherclive said:
Agree,
How ever I'm assuming they can only charge what the supplier charges and they cannot make a profit on this?
If say they currently allow a margin in there pitch fee will this go down? (Not Likely)
So in reality they will be making an additional profit.
Agree that they cannot charge extra for the cost of electric but I think you are correct on pitch fees as the cost of the installation of meters will have to be recouped. They are businesses after all. So one way or another those who use electricity sensibly will still be subsiding those who don't.
If you mean they can't charge extra over and above their supplier's unit cost per KWH, that's correct, but it's quite legal to charge for electricity per KWH over and above the pitch fee.otherclive said:
Whether they reduce their pitch fee when they introduce metered charges is purely their business decision.
RogerL said:
Roger,
You are correct, as in my post I too agreed with Gagakev re that electric charges cannot be more than the cost of supply from the site owners utility supplier. I think charging for electricity is a good thing as it goes towards ensuring that those that use the most pay the most. I was astonished some years back when I sought advice on a low wattage towel drier how many came back and said that they dried towels by hanging them below a rooflight and then putting the heaters on whilst they were out all day. There were also some who tried (unsucessfully) to convince me that leaving the heating on 24 hours in winter is more economic. That may be the case in a well-insulated modern house but certainly not in a caravan, even the newer ones.
in the camping and caravanning big book of sites. I know it's cheesyGagakev said:I stayed on a site in Dawlish which used the cards, they were availible in £1.00 and £5.00 amounts
This site refunded any Un-Used cards but Not part used ones, I bought the £1,00 ones
Same as roger about 80 to 90p a day
If the web site says electric included where did you read it's metered?
Edit; Just had a look at there web site and it just says
Increasing use of electricity as more caravans have more electrics item fitted is an ongoing issue for site owners - I think it's only the installation cost of meters that prevents them being universal.
Those caravanners who "use all the electric they want because they've paid for it" are another problem because the cost of their consumption is simply spread out over the rest of us.
I've even heard of caravanners using an extra cable from a spare bollard because 16A isn't enough for them !!
Those caravanners who "use all the electric they want because they've paid for it" are another problem because the cost of their consumption is simply spread out over the rest of us.
I've even heard of caravanners using an extra cable from a spare bollard because 16A isn't enough for them !!
If you see a site that has metered EHU avoid them and find another site. We stayed on a site in Wales withg metered electric. I put £10 on in the morning then monitored it during the day by taking readings at various times. Heating, hot water and fridge were all on gas.
In the morning we use a George Foreman grill to cook 4 sausages and the bacon so would have been on for about 10 minutes absolutely maximum as it switches off automatiucally. The wife then used the Dyson vacuum cleaner to vacuum the floors. We used nearly £6 worth of electric for these two tasks.
At home with washing machine, vacuum, stove etc we only use about £1.26 worth of electric! I had a hell of an argument with the owner, but the attitude is tough you must have used it! No way to prove anything!
In the morning we use a George Foreman grill to cook 4 sausages and the bacon so would have been on for about 10 minutes absolutely maximum as it switches off automatiucally. The wife then used the Dyson vacuum cleaner to vacuum the floors. We used nearly £6 worth of electric for these two tasks.
At home with washing machine, vacuum, stove etc we only use about £1.26 worth of electric! I had a hell of an argument with the owner, but the attitude is tough you must have used it! No way to prove anything!
Caravan sites ( and other landlords) are not allowed to profit from the resale of electricity. So if you are concerned about the accuracy of metering systems leading to overcharging, it is a legitimate matter for Trading Standards.
Just find out the KWH rate before you book - domestic tariffs may have standing charges and a lower KWH rate - the site owner, on a different tariff may just have a single higher rate, which he can't uplift - so you may get big variations between what you pay at home per KWH and what you pay on site.
I accept that sites are not allowed to charge more than they pay but how do you know what they pay and if the meters are accurate. I prefer the certainty of a fixed price but some very wasteful individuals may make meter charging the norm.
RogerL said:
Either way by law they cannot charge the "Standing Charge" because even if the EHU was not used and the mains power swtched off at meter box, they would still have to pay a standing charge. The only way to stop the standing charge is for the outside feeder cable to be disconnected and only the distribution company can do the disconnection and they will only do it if the building was to be demolished.
From memory, business rates were generally cheaper than domestic for the direct equivalent of standard and economy as it was assumed that a business would use more power than a domestic residence. There are other higher tariffs for business absed on high consumption.
Their meters can be checked either by the utility, a. Trading Standards Officer or by the meter supplier. How often this might be done is an open question.
The meters to each pitch are the responsibility of the site owner and not the utility, meter supplier or TS. These are all sub meters feeding from a main meter and it is only the main meter that is the responsiblity of the meter operator. There are no laws requiring them to be checked etc as they are private property.otherclive said:
But there is an Ofgem ruling that unit price cannot be uplifted - does that not have any provision for inspection?
For unlicensed parties such as landlords, site owners etc the meters have to be of a type approved by OFGEN which should mean that they are sealed at works and accompanied by a certificate of compliance. They have to be checked at least at two yearly intervals either by the owner or by a party contracted by the owner. This can be the utility company or other party. If someone suspects that they are being overcharged then Trading Standards can be contacted and may take up the case.
If they're "sealed at works" how does the site owner alter the unit rate, legimately, when their supplier alters their buying-in rate ?
Surfer said:
You are correct the site owner/operator is responsible for the individual site meters. But what followed is not entirely correct.
Regardless of the ownership status of any measuring device, if it is used to measure goods or service for sale than they must comply with the Weights and Measures Regulations, and Trading Standards or the utilities regulatory body have a legitimate interest if there is a suspicion of inaccuracy or miss-selling.
Measuring devices for weights and measures must be appropriately scaled for produce and quantity being measured, have up to date calibration demonstrating appropriate accuracy against traceable national standards. It is the traders responsibility to comply with these regulations.
Calibration intervals vary depending on the product being sold and other factors that may affect the intrinsic reliability of the measuring device.
Infringements of Weights and Measures is a criminal act.
B
by adjusting the units of kwhr embedded onto the prepay card for the stated value of £1 or £5
RogerL said:
by adjusting the units of kwhr embedded onto the prepay card for the stated value of £1 or £5
But some caravan site meters have the KWH rate built-in so that all you see is the cost in £p, not the actual KWH used - quite unlike a domestic meter.otherclive said:
Have a look at JSGSolutions they sell a wide range of prepay meters. Several have their tariff adjustable by use of a smart card which can be programmed by the facility owner. Costs of meters is surprisingly low.
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