Electricity meters
Comments
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If the Club were starting from scratch the installation of electric metering might be worth considering. As it would if there were a massive increase in electricity prices which made the current system untenable. However you do have to question whether it would be the right use of resources to implement a metered system into the system as it currently is. There would be a massive infrastructure costs involved in converting all the site bollards. A decision would have to be made on what sort of system whether that should be a card system or one controlled electronically via Reception. The card system would be the most convenient as it wouldn't involve extra time by site staff. If it were a card system there would have to be card dispensers available 24/7 just in case someone had used their allocation and needed a new card. I suppose in these times of technological advances you could pay by credit card at the site bollard. But the long and short of all this is that it would cost so much to put in place that members might even see site fees rise beyond what they are now to pay for the conversion plus of course having to pay for the electricity on top of that. I can't see that being acceptable to many people?
Like others I have used metered connection is Germany and to be truthful they are a right pain. They are always controlled by the office so you have to hang around on departure day until someone is available to get your cable out of a locked cabinet. They then have to calculate your final bill. Whilst on paper the idea of electric metering might appeal I would suggest the reality to the majority of members would be added cost and inconvenience. There are more more important things for the Club to be spending money on.
David
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yes fully agree. A substantial cost to come from somewhere that will not be recouped in any way. I'd rather have more hardstandings.
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I have similar thoughts David regarding cost and convenience. I have no doubt that the few that do take motorhomes off site for much of the day in the depths of winter might feel different. I was disadvantaged when EHU became a part of pitch fees and I had no mains on our caravan.
Regarding 'If the Club were starting from scratch'; I had similar thoughts about serviced pitches in as much as I suspect that on many sites all (or most) pitches would have water and drainage laid on.
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Even when a new site is built no meters have been installed. The new sites in the past few years have all been hardstanding and with a good number of service pitches. The way forward I expect?
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I assume smart meters differ then? Ours just transmits the same reading as what the meter in the cupboard displays. It does of couse convert it into a graph and show how much it is costing, as well as display a traffic light. Red being expensive. It does make the readings easier to monitor as I can do it from my chair. However, I think the only way I would know if the meter was faulty is if our bills went up unexpectedly. Or I suppose it was always on red.
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We are that little Winter MH EasyT!
However, a lot of Club Site prices are very cheap in Winter, and we don't use them in Summer, so happy with the status quo. There's always a site out there to suit us no matter how the ehu is delivered, and I agree with DKs post regarding outlay to provide metered services retrospectively, too high a cost.1 -
Electric powered campervan are on the way from VW. Motorhomers are towing electric cars already. The cost of a full recharge is reckoned to be about £3. Do you guys really see site owners providing unmetered electricity for much longer?
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And the other " more commercial realistic"methods are?
and if more hybrid /electric vehicles arrive then dedicated points would be installed (as at Brighton) and I can see normal EHUs for said charging will be stopped,to safeguard the supply for other site users
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No doubt enterprising town councils will soon be providing large spaces in coach parks for MHs, complete with metered hook ups. They may even let caravans use them as well, who knows. You do see more and more electric car charging points at shopping centres.
Helmsley has just allocated some designated MH park up spaces, and I think the intention is to provide hook up points as well. There are a couple in Pickering as well, off the beaten tracks, if you know where to look. Might be metered use, not sure.
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Not had a problem with metered EHUs, we have recently found that the ones where the box is locked seem to be going out of favour in Germany. I suspect they are gradually disappearing as sites are upgraded, and remote monitoring is being used instead. Plus they were a pain for the site owner as they had to keep sending someone out to connect/disconnect/take readings.
More often now, where the meter is still in the box, you are asked to note the starting read and tell them the pitch number and reading once you are pitched up. When you are ready to leave you give them the end read and settle up. Check in is quick, no paying in advance, just deposit your ACSI or other card and find a pitch.
Having stayed on a couple of Dutch Caravan Club sites, the system they use is portable meters. Some sites are all metered, others you can choose between a daily rate or a meter. Seasonal pitches are always metered.
When you arrive and check in you are given your meter and this plugs into the bollard, then you plug into this, very simple. When you leave you hand in the meter and pay the bill.
Their site we used this year worked out at just under 16 euros per night and standards were similar to Club sites. They run special activities for the children during school holidays, and have weekly get togethers for the adults on most sites. All very welcoming and friendly.
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+1
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Why not go the whole hog and meter water, those who go to club sites and stand in the shower for 30 minutes would get charged more than someone just popping on and out. People filling lots of aqua rolls or MH tanks would pay their fair share, just need a card reader on each tap and charge by the litre.
Personally I am against charging for electric via a meter as I want to know what I am using but an electric or non electric pitch choice would be good.
Just a now a certain site in Cambridge charges £5 a night for electric, we have been on sites in France charging €6.50 per night.
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and of course pay per size of dog, could have different size bands which could of course vary with off peak, peak... just like for humans?
Also shouldn't twin axles and motorhomes pay double? after they are wearing out twice as much road surface and pitch as a single axle?
the list could go on and on, or maybe we just stick to what is in place now in our non progressive sites?
After all it seems to work, fullish sites, demand for pitches and all that. Maybe it is what those that actually go to club site (voluntarily) actually want?
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i agree with Michael....
somewhere in this evergreen discussion (thanks PeeDee for warming us all up with a spicy hardy, polarising annual.....) where 'green' is the operative part, isnt there the notion that the club should be doing what it can to fulfil its obligations on reducing its carbon footprint?
while fitting low wattage lights around the place is very laudable, surely the biggest element must be its pitch electric bill....
if they wanted to make significant inroads into reducing the overall site usage, surely the thing NOT to do is to offer an inclusive EHU policy.
its obvious that folk arent 'careful' with resources unless they are encouraged to be, either with some sort of cap or being shown (paying) how much it actually costs....
as i said, i agree with Michael in that ALL sites should be able to offer a non-EHU option to customers at a reduced fee, in line with the cost of the clubs 'average customer use' at a rate that is in line with the reselling regs.
the overall usage would plummet, customers would get a better deal and the club would get a 'gold (green?) star.
the normal 'inclusive EHU option' would remain for thise who wish to take it up at the clubs 'prescribed' rate.
those who dont need it, dont pay.
those who want/need it, pay.
club slashes overall site usage.
customers and club committee all happy bunnies.
whats not to like?
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I am not particularly in favour of the club charging seperately for electric (or water, awnings, dogs etc). Within reason it's an all inclusive pitch fee and that suits me.
But it is the electric vehicle scenario that is probably most likely to trigger metering. I know someone has suggested that there are seperate charging points available on some sites already, are these metered? but regardless I would want to charge my car or electric M/H on the pitch so would soon lash up a discreet cable from the van, unless the wardens are going to make patrols of the site in the dead of night looking for cables.....
Also in the longer term the government may want to address the issue of electricity pricing for road vehicles. Most of the price of petrol/diesel is tax. Once we are all in electric cars/vans etc they will have no money based on current electricity pricing.......
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the cost of installing meters BB for one that could be better spent on other things
Btw - How was your trip to Spain last month (golf was it) on that gas guzzling huge carbon footprint making jet, if you really believe what you preach then perhaps you shouldn't have gone? Did you stay in a hotel where the electricity was charged separately?
If being green is your thing why continue in that high mpg motor home of yours, why not just use your bike and go camping?
is it a case of do what I say, not what I do BB?
oh and
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