Metered electricity - avoid it!
A couple of weeks ago we visited a site with a metered electicity system. I won't say which club the CL/Cs is linked to and I don't want to identify the site because the owners are striving hard workers doing their best. However:
Before booking I called the owners and asked about the metering system that I had learnt about on the club site. Whilst they didn't lie, they didn't tell me the truth. That was that I had to pay them in advance for electricity. They would then use their computer to put credit on a card that only they could use. One of them then came to the post and put the credit into the meter. I obviously knew how much I had paid but never knew how much electricity I had left. As it happened, the weather changed for the worst so I switched over to gas heating and the next day paid for a lot more electric - well over what I thought we would need.
The weather didn't improve and whereas we would have dealt with that and carried on on a "Normal" site, we decided to leave. The owners gave us a refund of the electricity we had not used but the stress of it all and the amateurish way it all sort-of-worked was just too much stress. Buggered up the holiday really.
My advice: Don't use them. In these times of rediculous power prices I understand why an owner would do it, but the whole pantomime is simply just too much hassle.
Comments
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That's a very amateurish and convoluted way of going about charging for electric and, if you look at the Ofgem regs linked to in the main metering thread, it would appear the exempted site owner may be in breach of the rules.
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Could you not read the meter yourself Dunclair? Or was it not viewable? Always helpful if you can see the meter, and what pulls the power the most.
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You say you don't want to name the site but that might help the next person going there?
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Surely the whole point of the site review option is to highlight things that others might struggle with if they don't get prior knowledge of the system. You don't have to be particularly damming in a review but to point out the lack of transparency would be useful to other members?
David
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+1. A review of the site would be good; alerting other members to the issue you had with metered EHU is no different to pointing out other issues on a CL/CS, such as whether it's a long way to the Elsan point or to the one and only fresh water tap on site. Or whether the site is next to a busy main road; it's what reviews are for and what is very helpful to fellow members. I use reviews when looking for sites and find them useful.
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We've just been to a CL, Cholsey Grange, where the charge for electricity couldn't be clearer. Each pitch has its own, easily readable meter. Within the pitch price is a daily allowance of 10kW. Anything over this is charged at £0.30 per kW. Very easy to calculate what, if any, extra is owed to the site. Read the meter when you arrive, read it again just before you leave.
Another CL we are going to in Cornwall in June also has meters on each pitch. Within the pitch price is a daily allowance of 15kW. Again, if this is exceeded, the difference has to be paid to the site. But, if the daily allowance isn't exceeded, any under-use is refunded. In June I'm hoping for an under-use and a re-fund.
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I think, Dunclair, that by not writing a review on the appropriate club’s website you are not only failing to alert other potential users but also not giving the site owner the opportunity to see how he could improve things. That would be to his benefit as well as helping end users.
Tbh, one report on here of a strange set up on an anonymous site is fairly meaningless and it certainly isn’t representative of all metering systems.
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Metering on a CL won’t put us off visiting. Ideally you want an easy to use, easy to read set up, and knowing the price you are to pay via the meter.
We have a good understanding of what power is drawn by what appliances, our outfit isn’t as power hungry as some with only a small fridge, and we are always in camping mode when away, and have happily survived for days on sites without a hook up. We do have a solar panel, and charge up iPads and phones on the move, so we have most of what we need, short hair means a quick shower and an easy dry😁
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Dunclair, that's a very sweeping and very negative statement when you say "Metered electricity - avoid it!"
Do you mean avoid that particular CL site or do you mean avoid ALL sites which offer metered electricity because you think they will all be running similar confusing systems?
Here at Skybarn Farm CL, near the beautiful and historic city of Lincoln, we have been offering metered electricity to our visitors since October 2022 and it's been received positively by all our guests since then.
We run a very simple system: take a form, make a note of your arrival meter reading, make a note of your pre-departure reading, multiply it by the cost per unit (currently 36p) and that is what you owe. Payment by cash or bank transfer and you do not need to hang around to find us before you leave. Simples.
I'm really sad to see a post encouraging members to avoid metered electric!! It's a much fairer way for members to stay and pay for ONLY what they actually use. We've had lots of visitors who've chosen not to hook-up and only pay our pitch fee.
Metering of electric offers choice; choice to use it or not and choice for it to cost as much or as little as you like. You, the visitor, is in charge of how much electric you use. Why would you want to avoid it??
Not only is it better for members, it's also better for the environment. Our electric use since October last year has dropped by a third. Win, win if you ask me.7 -
Agree fully. We all know costs have risen, and we are grateful to those CL owners that are now giving visitors more choices. If nothing else it hopefully creates a better understanding of just how much energy is being used.
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Being given the choice not to use electricity and just pay pitch fee really is the way forward. Lots of units, including caravans are capable of a few nights off grid. And presumably choice to hook up or not gives a safety backup for those worried about coping off grid. If it becomes difficult hook up for a day to recharge batteries.
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We did just this on two tours last year Hja. Majority of time off grid, odd day hooked up. Worked very well for us.
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We have happily used Donnewell farm Sedgefield for a number of years and in winter the pitch feel excluded electric which was metered on each hook up. Simply reading ot when arrived and again when leaving paying the difference.
A great fully serviced pitches near a lovely little town village
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Like the OP we are also very wary of any sites that charge metering after having being burnt badly a few years ago so can understand why the OP recommends avoiding sites that have metered pitches. Unfortunately one bad apple spoils it for others.
In our case despite us using gas for heating, gas for fridge etc somehow overnight our usage was at its highest when we were asleep and the heating turned down. When we challenged the owner, he did not argue and refunded us. Luckily I had taken readings in the evening and then again in the morning.
Just to add that we do use a site with metered pitches regularly who charge a flat rate of £3.50 per day. You pay in advance for the period you are staying on site. A reading is taken on arrival and another when you leave. Any credit is refunded back to your card the same day. However if it is less than a £1 they give you the choice of paying that balance to a nominated charity.
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I recently visited a CL with metered electricity. Meter easy to read on each pitch and then you fed in £1 coins as required. You could see what you had left all the time. The site even had a change machine to obtain coins. The owner has said that when the price of energy decreases he will be returning to no extra charge for the electricity.
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I am not keen on meters needing coins. Largely because I tend not to have much cash - dont use it these days. Where CLs need cash for payment I have to make sure I have been to an ATM before going away. I note you say there was a change machine, but I guess this was just notes to coins.
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I have come across a great system. It shows what can be done. On arrival go to a machine, press the button to check in, enter how long you intend to stay. You are then asked if you want electricity or water, if yes you add credit for this. The transaction is calculated and you can pay by cash or card. I used a credit card and wanted neither electricity or water. The machine issues you with a smart card for which there was a deposit. This opens the barrier to let you in and allows access to showers and toilets. At any time I could go back to the machine and add credit to the card for electricity or water and I presume to extend my stay. On leaving, use the card to open the barrier, go to the machine , insert the smart card and any credit and the deposit is refunded. The machine keeps the card, I assumed for reuse.
No staff were needed although someone did turn up in the morning in a van to service the facilities.
peedee
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Fantastic, PD, but a bit much to expect from a CL probably. Sounds more suitable for a big commercial set up 👍🏻
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Charging for water? That's a new one? Even the most basic site will always have a tap with 'free water' I assumed.
Don't give the club ideas PD.
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We used a site in France about 8 years back where there was a charge for MHs to fill up and empty, so much per 100litres, it was a very modest charge. Fill/empty was available to passing vehicles too.
When you are not a domestic property, you will be paying for water via meter up here in Scotland, our son has a small farm, he personally does not farm but rents out the land, and his water is metered. Metering on domestic properties up here is almost unheard of.
So a campsite would be metered. We up here have plenty of water, but in many countries water is an expensive resource.
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Deleted User by TW. Off topic.
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Photos of what I described. I may have been mistaken about cash being accepted, this one is certainly cards only. To get electricity select your outlet and touch the pad with your smart card. You may have been able to set the number of Kwh you required, not sure because I haven't used electric.
peedee
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While campsites are metered or not is beside the point, I have never heard of a UK campsite, or even a CL for that matter that meters water, have you?
(and what happens in other countries is beyond this thread but thanks for the information)
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I'm just trying to get my head around how much electricity people use.
I've been keeping a record of how much electricity we use as since moving we only have electricity and this also runs our heat pump for hot water and heating.
Since mid March the most we have used for everything in a week is 92 units = 13 units per day X 33p = £4.33 plus standing charge.
These figures are for a 3 bedroom house, so surely some sites or caravan owners are taking taking the rise. Except for the earlier mentioned site wit a 15 units per day allowance.
Colin
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