Using Club electricity meters and consumption

peedee
peedee Club Member Posts: 9,441
2,500 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper
edited November 24 in UK Campsites & Touring #1

If anyone is interested, attached above is a note I made of my experience of using a metered electricity pitch on a Club site. Note the Club has said it will trial another system in the 2nd quarter of 2025? Personally I had no difficulties using the current system or getting a refund of my unused credit. So is the Club searching for the Holy Grail in wanting to improve the system?

If you have not used such a pitch before, you may find it useful or, if you have used the system, perhaps you could comment on your experience.

peedee

Comments

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,931
    5,000 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper Photogenic

    @peedee Useful overview. I was about to use a commercial site using MeterMacs and found the process quite straight forward, unfortunately we had to cancel so never got to use it in anger! Have to say the refund was easy.

    The DG suggested they were looking for a simpler system in one of the magazines. I suppose the simplest system would be coins in a meter but probably not very convenient for all concerned. Perhaps the DG was thinking that a system where you didn't need to log in but could just tap a payment card, sort of akin to charging and EV?

    David

  • Hja
    Hja Club Member Posts: 871
    500 Likes 500 Comments Name Dropper

    I still think the best system is meters in the office, read on departure. The sites I have used with metered electricity , so far, have all been meters on the pitch, read at start and finish.

  • richardandros
    richardandros Club Member Posts: 2,723
    1,000 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper Photogenic

    @peedee That's useful and most interesting - thank you. My only experience of metered electricity is at Skybarn Farm CL and their system is quite simple in that you read the meter at start and finish - multiply the number of units used by unit rate and arrive at your bill. They have a form to make this easy! Pay in either cash (in envelope provided) or by BACS.

    I can, however, think of a number of reasons why this wouldn't work on a large site - but then wondered if it could be tied into your barrier card so that you wouldn't be let out until you had paid??? Basically back to @Hja 's suggestion but with the ability to pay by BACS. I was also wondering how @DavidKlyne 's suggestion would cope with reunds?

  • Cornersteady
    Cornersteady Club Member Posts: 14,481
    5,000 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper Photogenic
    edited November 24 #5

    The problem with using the site office is of course that it might be closed before the 12 departure time even on sites with more than one set of wardens. And of course some do pay for an extra night then leave late the night before when the office is closed and though staff are on call till 8 I wouldn't like to disturb them. Too many variables. The only sure way in online or even better on the pitch or pay station.

    The DG (?) stated in that interview the club will only introduce metering when it's as simple as swiping one's bank card.

  • Wildwood
    Wildwood Club Member Posts: 3,628
    1000 Comments 250 Likes Name Dropper Photogenic

    It seems to me the club could introduce a rechargeable card we could use on any site that could be topped up from a payment machine outside the office. You could the take any balance with you to the next site and a refund would not be a problem for most of us. I assume though, if the machine could take your money, it could also give it back if you wanted. You would certainly need a system for payment that worked out of office hours as sod's law says it will only run out then. The internet might still not work on some sites, but possibly this might be used, but as the club does not provide security I am doubtful about that method.

  • peedee
    peedee Club Member Posts: 9,441
    2,500 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper

    I think the method has already been decided @Wildwood it is just a matter of implementation.

    peedee

  • Tinwheeler
    Tinwheeler Forum Participant Posts: 23,219
    10,000 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper

    A payment machine outside the office would be vulnerable to theft if it accepted cash (not by members, obviously). If it accepted payment cards it would cut out the middle man to swipe those cards at the meter instead. Therefore, I see a payment machine as being unnecessary.

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,321
    5,000 Likes 1000 Comments Name Dropper

    I would have thought that any type of payment system on the bollard would be rather costly, as except on service pitches very few only have one outlet. Many have four. Therefore you couldn’t just have a simple swipe / insert card for on / off, there would have to be some mechanism for identifying the socket you want to activate. I’ve not used it yet, but the current system seems OK but would possibly benefit by having an App option.

  • davebess
    davebess Forum Participant Posts: 1
    First Comment

    the meter Mac system is very clunky. When signing up it is very slow to respond and should be from an app . I have now use this system twice one club site and one a commercial site . If more users go online i think with be even slower.