What does the term metered EHU mean?

[Surfer]

But there is an Ofgem ruling that unit price cannot be uplifted - does that not have any provision for inspection?

Ofgem cannot monitor privately owned meters and how they charge customers with reference to the number of units used. If the meter clicks over twice instead of once, how will you know?
Luckily for us, hopefully it is probably only a small percentage of
owners that may do this to cheat their customers. The others will have
the metering certified annually to ensure that they are operating okay.
It is up to the owner to get the meters checked or certified as at present I am not aware of any laws regarding the certification of privately owned electric meters which is not covered by the legislation Jogn mentions.
However the owner probably knows that there is no ways that you as an individual can check whether the meter is operating correctly so the metered system is open to abuse by owners.
To avoid issues, simply avoid sites with metered EHU otherwise on leaving you need to join the queue to get a refund on the balance left on the meter or like us argue the toss about consumption and still lose.

 

[AbbeyOwner]

We are going only for 3 nights so shouldn't be that bad just won't have to leave water heater on as well as heating

 

[Dustydog]

We are going only for 3 nights so shouldn't be that bad just won't have to leave water heater on as well as heating

The water heater is thermostatically controlled and doesn't consume current 24/7.
Six years ago at Aviemore we had to buy a"credit card" that went into the EHU.
It lasted about three days . This was a chilly end september.
I have no problem with this method as long as I'm not being fleeced.
Ihave no problem with this pay as you go as long as I am not being fleet

 

[otherclive]

Understand what you mean about the water heater but the caravan room heater is also thermostatically controlled too but you wouldn't leave that on 24/7. Both will draw current when the thermostat reaches its lower setting. The water heater is insulated but it still loses heat which requires to be replaced. Our water heater goes on when we get up, switched off after breakfast wash up and washes. Then it goes on again early evening to wash up the dinner pots.

 

[Parksy]

I've only ever stayed on one site which had metered ehu and we had no problem with it.
The pitch fee was only £8 per night and the site had a new shower and toilet block which was kept clean, and a pre paid card was needed for the ehu, with a choice of either £5 or £1
We opted for the £5 because the weather was cold so the electric heating was on and the £5 lasted over the four nights that we stayed with 75p left over which we were quite happy to leave for the next caravan.
I think that the pay as you go system is ok, we used what we paid for because the heater was never off and I think that more sites will adopt this scheme as caravans use more 240v electricity nowadays.

 

[ProfJohnL]

I am not aware of any laws regarding the certification of privately owned electric meters which is not covered by the legislation Jogn mentions.

Surfer,
Anybody (Private /Corporate or publically owned) who regularly sells a variable quanity comodity must be able to demonstrate that the quantity of the comodity they deliver and are selling is measured within the accuracy set out by weights and measures legislation.
All measurement devices used to measure a comodity for sale must comply with agreed standards of accuracy. Failure to do so may expose the customer to short measures which is fraud and a crimial offence. Its not a question of ownership, It's the use to which they are being put If its retail function then they are subject to the full force of Trading Standards and any other regulatory body.
If a pre-payment electric meter is over charging you, becasue of the way the tarrif has been set by the owner, then again that is a an offence as OFGEM has decreed they cannot make a profit on the resale of electricity, so Trading Standards will have an interest and OFGEM might have an interest.

 

[Surfer]

I am not aware of any laws regarding the certification of privately owned electric meters which is not covered by the legislation Jogn mentions.

Surfer,
Anybody (Private /Corporate or publically owned) who regularly sells a variable quanity comodity must be able to demonstrate that the quantity of the comodity they deliver and are selling is measured within the accuracy set out by weights and measures legislation.
All measurement devices used to measure a comodity for sale must comply with agreed standards of accuracy. Failure to do so may expose the customer to short measures which is fraud and a crimial offence. Its not a question of ownership, It's the use to which they are being put If its retail function then they are subject to the full force of Trading Standards and any other regulatory body.
If a pre-payment electric meter is over charging you, becasue of the way the tarrif has been set by the owner, then again that is a an offence as OFGEM has decreed they cannot make a profit on the resale of electricity, so Trading Standards will have an interest and OFGEM might have an interest.

Electric and gas are NOT covered by Weights and Measures legislation. They have their own legislation which is overseen by Ofgem. As for your last paragraph it would be interesting to know how you would prove that you were being overcharged. On a prepayment meter you are buying a card woth "x" amount so the transaction is indirect. You are correct when you state that an owner cannot charge you more than what they pay at their meter and not the privately owned sub meters.

 

[ProfJohnL]

As with any suspicion of short measure, you would involve Trading Standards, who if they confirm the suspicion they will make arrangments to get the measurement device checked.

 

[otherclive]

Strange as it may seem Trading Standards do have an incrediby wide remit. They even did a survey of scales in our local hosptal even though they were not selling anything! Weightwatchers beware!

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Clive,
It does not suprise me, as even though hospitals are not selling (though itr could be argued they are when you have to pay for prescriptions) they are involved in offering advice which is often related to a patients weight..
Also the dosage of many drugs used in hospitals are worked out against a patients weight, so there is a dange of over or under prescribeing if the weight of the patient is incorrectly measured.
In days gone by when the Hospitals where actually owned an run by the NHS as a Government department, Tradting standarsd could not intervene as the hospital and their equiepment were Crown properties, but these days with the local managmant and ownership of hospitals by corporate trusts, TS do have remit.
And whilst you may have been jesting about Weightwatchers, do not forget they are a business and again thier advice is based on a clients weight, so inaccuracies could have a detrimental effect on clients.

 

[Surfer]

As with any suspicion of short measure, you would involve Trading Standards, who if they confirm the suspicion they will make arrangments to get the measurement device checked.

As said, TS cannot get involved with privately owned electric meters. They cannot even check the accuracy or calibration of the main meter unless they requested a meter operator to do it and to do this they would need to know the supplier.
The supplier's name is protected under the Data Protection Act and even if TS suspect anything, they need to offer proof before they can get the name of the supplier.
Anyway even if this somehow happened, if the main meter is okay there is nothing further TS can do about it and Ofgem will need to examine the sub meters, but by this time the owner has probably re-calibrated the metering. Either way you lose!
The law actually protects the wrong do'er!

 

[otherclive]

I don't believe that the Data Protection Act covers data relating to corporate names, its for the protection of individuals. I tend to the view that the majority of site owners are running an honest business and have probably been reluctant to introduce metering. However given the increase in consumption in today's vans combined with some users selfish habits in using excess electricity the site owners have had little option. But if it means that those who use it pay for it then so be it.

 

[xtrailman]

Site we stay on has introduced metered electric.
In cold weather the cost is close to £4 a day, we don't use gas.
In summer this year we were paying around £1.50 a day, so we now only visit in summer.
Its not just the cost thats an issue but the inconvenience of feeding the meter.
Unit cost is 20p, which is way higher than my home tariff, and i was told the owner had paid £10K to have the some 30 meters fitted.

I might add that most of the cooking is done on the charcoal barbi, even in cool weather, it tastes better.
Obviously on PAYG everything not require is turn down or off, so it would be very difficult to reduce costs further.

 

[AbbeyOwner]

Site we stay on has introduced metered electric.
In cold weather the cost is close to £4 a day, we don't use gas.
In summer this year we were paying around £1.50 a day, so we now only visit in summer.
Its not just the cost thats an issue but the inconvenience of feeding the meter.
Unit cost is 20p, which is way higher than my home tariff, and i was told the owner had paid £10K to have the some 30 meters fitted.

I might add that most of the cooking is done on the charcoal barbi, even in cool weather, it tastes better.
Obviously on PAYG everything not require is turn down or off, so it would be very difficult to reduce costs further.

Great... spend £12 as well as total fee turning to be great this, (on the good note i have 2 full gas bottles)

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Surfer.

You keep refering to'private' meters, Please define what you mean by that.

Even corporate businesses like any of the electicity suppliers are now Private, in so far rthe are not controlled by government, so All meters are 'Private'

Regardless of who owns a meter (and I'm not just refering to electric meteres here), if it used to measure a comodity for sale or charge, it is subject to lawfull requirements for the accuracy of its measurement. Trading Standards are empowered to check the accuraccy and calibration of all retail measurments.
Ofgem may be interested in the tarrifs for metered charging.

 

[Surfer]

I don't believe that the Data Protection Act covers data relating to corporate names, its for the protection of individuals. I tend to the view that the majority of site owners are running an honest business and have probably been reluctant to introduce metering. However given the increase in consumption in today's vans combined with some users selfish habits in using excess electricity the site owners have had little option. But if it means that those who use it pay for it then so be it.

You are probably correct regarding corporations however the user i.e. owner of the site is protected by DPA and TS cannot phone MPAS and ask for details of the supplier who supplies that individual.

 

[ProfJohnL]

I think the point has been missed here.
Anyone who resells electricity such as on a caravan site, is acting as a trader, and is not a private individual. They are working in a comercial enviroment and they must conform to the regulations and laws approriate to that enviroment. TS have as much rights to investigate a CL owner as thet do with M&S.
If for any reason TS are unable to investigate, they will tell you and advise you what to do.

 

[otherclive]

I don't believe that the Data Protection Act covers data relating to corporate names, its for the protection of individuals. I tend to the view that the majority of site owners are running an honest business and have probably been reluctant to introduce metering. However given the increase in consumption in today's vans combined with some users selfish habits in using excess electricity the site owners have had little option. But if it means that those who use it pay for it then so be it.

You are probably correct regarding corporations however the user i.e. owner of the site is protected by DPA and TS cannot phone MPAS and ask for details of the supplier who supplies that individual.

If you are talking individuals that is correct but if the site is registered as a business, which most will be including many CL/CS, then the details can be disclosed. This doesn't mean the site has to be registered at Companies House as there are business tax schedule registrations with HMRC that for tax purposes see the individual being taxed differently to the norm. Common examples being Buy to Let landlords who instead of just paying 10% of all rent as tax pay tax based on profits, or losses. The latter group being seen as registered for business purposes.