UK sites with metered electricity
Can people please post some examples of UK sites where electricity.usage is metered.
The one I know of is Pier Collage on the waterside at Coniston - a family owned site with 15 pitches . The system there is to pay on departure for the amount of electricity used, but other sites sell pre paid cards on arrival, so comments on the different ways of working may be helpful.
Likes and dislikes will inevitably crop up - they always do on here - but I was rather looking for practical ways of working.
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At Standcliffe House CL we paid money into a meter and used up any spare left by the previous occupants. All ok.
At Cholsey Grange CL we had an allowance included in the site fee and any excess was payable after the final meter reading. All ok.
In both cases we were more careful with the usage, it stops wastage.
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I'm only quoting my own experiances JVB. Of course there are always questions to be asked about metering. Remote reading and card accounts comes to mind on larger sites. It also might even be the scenario that savings on usage help towards the set up costs?
On smaller sites it will certainly reduce power usage and overheads, hopefully reducing the pitch costs in the long run and extending opening times. If, for instance, popular CLs want to remain open through the winter months this might be of use.
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Although probably about 75% of the sites I use are Club sites I have never come across metering in this country. It is quite widely used in Germany.
I don't know if ET's question is linked to the question asked at the AGM about metering? Just in case it is I have copied the question and answer below.
Q) In light of the green agenda and the ever-rising price of electricity, will the Club continue to offer members unlimited (and unmetered) electricity when they book a pitch with EHU, or will the club move to some form of metering in the foreseeable future?
A) The fairest way to charge for electricity usage would be based on consumption, and this would also likely influence usage levels from a sustainability perspective. Unfortunately, the cost of infrastructure and subsequent monitoring and payment mechanisms are significantly cost prohibitive at this time. Having said this, the Club is constantly reviewing the technology and opportunities in this space in order to identify cost effective ways of being able to deliver this type of arrangement in the future.
David
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That’s interesting PD. The Blossom Touring Park looks to be a site with over 100 pitches so shows that metering is not confined to CLs and small sites .And as that site has been running meters for about ten years it might be one for the Club to talk to if they are ever inclined to experiment with meters on one of their own sites.
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I often wonder, and a serious question here, do people who advocate mertering do this for any other stay or it is just reserved for (club) caravan sites?
Do they have the same views when staying at hotels, B&B, glamping cabins, cruse ships, holiday cottages?
I always stay all inclusive on further afield holidays and I never think that the table next to be is eating more than me, or having too many drinks at the pool bar, or I am somehow paying for other's people food, drink, heat...
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But the main question is did that site have to install meters from scratch or did they convert existing EHU points? You appear to know the history?
The main point that people who advocate meters never answer is where will the money come from to convert a very rough low estimate of 10,000 current EHU on club sites. At what cost per pitch? £1 per pitch would be too low of course, £10? Still far too low I think but there's £100,000. £20...
You can do the sums yourself. So the question is where will this money come from? The club can only get it back from higher pitch fees? And to ensure that maybe there would be no option to not have it? Or it could use it's reserves and then not do any refurbishments, more pitches or buy new sites?
So over to you?
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Good question.
Personally and its just my opinion. I would prefer to pay for what I use on campsites, we have used metered sites and it doesn't bother me, as long as I know before hand the charge per Kw and I see both the reading before and after my stay, the rest is then down to me.
If others are using heaters in the awning, cooking outside on electric or whatever they are doing its up to them, they are paying for it.
Re: Hotels, B&B and Cruises then of course I would expect that to be included in the price of stay, mainly because I wouldn't be cooking or running additional heaters etc.
If I was to use a rented cottage or glamping accommodation then again metered wouldn't bother me, as long as I'm informed before finalising a booking.
I think when you have to pay for what you use it focuses the mind, isn't that the reason they are pushing for us all to get Smart meters. I believe with a smart meter you can see what you are using and where you can possibly make savings.
EDIT. We never stay at all inclusive having witnessed the over indulgence that it leads some folk into, mainly drink, this can and does lead to some very unsavoury behaviour. We much prefer to stay self catering, hotels of course its usually B&B basis. Cruises are a completely different ball game, yes you can over indulge on food but drinks are usually very expensive so not often do you see over indulgence.
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Thanks for the reply
While in a hotel though you wouldn't be perhaps be running extra heaters but you could then up the heat or AC... far more than next door?
I have a smart meter but all it does is just send the data to the energy company. They did give me a display unit but I never even plugged it it. If I'm cold I turn the heat up, if I need to run a device then I'll run it. I'm not saying against anything about those that do and watch every KW, good for them, but not the way I want to live.
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I guess you are right you can turn up the heating/AC, for me its normally turning it down as I find these places far to hot and stuffy.
Maybe since Covid and the fresh air push, we might see hotels etc running heating at a more conservative setting.
We don't have a smart meter they are not being fitted where we live (I don't want one anyway) we did have a devise that showed us what our usage was in real time and I must say it does help if you are concerned about your consumption.
Once we had solar panels fitted though it no longer worked. We generate quite a good bit and when home we tend to run devises like washing machine, dishwasher, iron etc during the day when we are generating.
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David, today is a special day I have liked two of your posts
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I think that is a good point in your last paragraph. The club should , and I'm sure, is looking and using other ways for providing electricity and better insulation - but I don't want the site entrance blocked by IB
In fact I'm pretty sure I saw some solar lights at my last site.
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You are fortunate that you don't need to count the pennies, but not everyone is in the same situation. I have a smart meter with a display that is actually plugged in, like you I use the power I need/want but it it interesting to see the consumption of particular appliances when they are doing their thing. And at night/evening time when you think that everything is off .... what exactly is using that 2 pence per hour? 🙄
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