CMC sites and electric metering
A couple of days away and a chance to try out the newly refurbished site Steamer Quay at Totnes in Devon. Previously this was a quaint little site which was in need of a bit of attention. We were concerned that a full refurbishment would take away what made this site so nice but were pleasantly surprised to find it is still a gem of a site. Lovely wardens and a warm weclome on the first night of the Totnes Christmas Market.
The only downside is the new metered electricity. Clearly electric prices have gone through the roof over the past year or so and I'm sure some will abuse the electricity provided elsewhere but I hope this doesn't become the model for all CMC sites.
- Members arrive after a long drive, they want to get set up quickly and get the kettle on. Having to register as a user and pre-load the account in order to activate the bollard is a pain. The site isn't very user-friendly and you have to put the pitch number in twice. There's no guidance how much to load in and on a very cold first night we went through nearly £10.
- Metering the electricity should mean that the pitch price is lower but this isn't so. We are booked on two sites next week both with electric and both are considerably cheaper by at least £8.00 per night. This feels like a rip off. I was told this was due to dynamic pricing yet the site was probably less than a quarter full.
They are testing the model and there was an opportunity to give feedback when we left today. Overall things could be much better. How about a credit of 10KW of electric and, if people are heavy users, they pay for use over and above that? Above all make it easy to arrive and set up quickly without a fuss.
Comments
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Some interesting points.
It was often posted that metering would lower prices and equally there were posters who thought it wouldn't. Personally I thought it a myth, and still do that people somehow 'abuse' the included electricity putting everything on EHU, after all there is a limit of 16A and how many appliances do people carry with them and how many are needed at any one time. Likewise I want to set up asap. But if it goes that way then so be it. I only used what I needed to enjoy my stay.
But there was an interview with the DG (or someone high up) who said that metering won't be rolled out across all sites till the payment system is as easy as 'swiping your bank card' so it's a good year or two, or more away.
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I think your use of nearly £10 per night explains exactly why CAMC is trialling metering of electricity.
Maybe Steamer Quay is dearer than the other sites because it has just undergone extensive refurbishment and I think the pitches are all serviced, aren’t they?
There is another thread about this site somewhere.
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@Andyt21 Price comparisons in terms of how much cheaper Steamer Quay should be when you pay for the electricity by meter is difficult because, as you know, the site previously didn't have an EHU facility. Add to that all the pitches are now hardstanding and serviced its difficult to compare with the old site which was all grass and only had a limited opening period. I don't think there is anyway you can get a real figure but you could compare what you paid with one of the following sites which include EHU, Cromer, Chatsworth or Morn Hill? Also charges per Kwh are usually a bit higher that normal domestic prices which are capped by Ofgem but commercial supplies are not. I think that within the next 2/3 years all Club sites will have metered electricity.
David
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As the site is completely different with far better facilities and hook ups there is no way of knowing what would have been charged had electricity been included. Not knowing what the other two sites referred to is, it is not possible to comment on the charges there.
It does look like a test case for paying for power on site and hopefully once the club see how it goes things will change, as improvements needed are identified. Possibly this is more of a wake up call to the rest of us as to what our use of electricity costs the club.
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Why is it a wake up call for us or why should it be? Surely it may be a wake up call for the club but not for me personally. The club sets the price to include electricity and I pay it and that's the end of the story for me with no further thought.
If the club has got its sums wrong that really is their problem and not mine. I do not see it as my responsibly at all as to how much I use or how much I cost the club. Harsh? Well it's the same approach I use with a holiday cottage or when I use hotels, B&B, airB&B, or in fact any all inclusive holiday - do I worry if I eat or drink too much or have the AC on too much on a TUI holiday?
When and if metering comes I can honestly say it will not change my use of electricity. I'll use exactly what I need to enjoy my time away.
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The price doesn’t look that bad to me. Never been, but I m guess most use Steamer Quay to visit Totnes, as we have used Baltic Wharf to visit Bristol. That’s £10 a night more expensive over Christmas for a standard pitch. Therefore if you take into account the £5 service pitch supplement, that gives you £15 a night to spend on electric.
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- I was told this was due to dynamic pricing yet the site was probably less than a quarter full.
Dynamic pricing should be made a criminal offence…..OH has just returned from Sainsburys and said that Quality Street tins had increase to £6 from £4:50 a couple of weeks ago. (yes we do like them). Fortunately she found the refill bags at £4 😅
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