Email regarding price increases
Comments
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I have received the e mail today. I assume it is going to those with bookings later in the year.
We have one night at a site in May.
Like others, I was left with more questions than answers.
"If you have a solar unit on your outfit please use it as much as possible". I didnt understand what this meant. I am not particularly technical. I know my solar panel will give charge to my batteries, when not on EHU. What I dont know is how it functions alongside EHU. I just plug in and let it get on with it.
Are they expecting you to disconnect if its sunny?
Yes, energy prices are rising, so increases not unexpected. However, I trust a far greater explanation will be forthcoming in due course. Are they not on fixed deals? Dont know how that works for businesses.
Why the variation in increase? Presumably the greater increase will be in winter? I assume the increase will be on the pitch fee?
What are the club doing to alleviate what will be permanently higher electricity costs? (At least as long as energy is priced as it is with electricity effectively subsidising gas)? I do think they should be looking at metering or ampage options or options for not using electricity. Or putting rules in place about not heating awnings. Where we have used metered sites, we have used what was included in the core price, by using how we would normally do. But we dont use a lot of electricity. Some people use a lot more so with costs as they are, I am not convinced that we should all be paying the same any more.
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I hope you’re right about prices, but I don’t share your confidence. I hope these increases prompt a more responsible approach to managing energy consumption and that includes a major expansion of non-EHU options on CMC sites. Take camping back to its roots rather than heating up the atmosphere via the awning or running heating & hot water systems all night just because they can mindset.
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Whatever the cost, it is money that cannot be recouped in any way and is just a further drain of club finances?
Not so, the Club can recover the cost of installing electricity meters and their maintenance in the same way any capital costs is recovered i.e. through pitch fees. As for installation costs, meters can be phased in over time and now the Club has no need of the money for a new Bristol site, they could easily redirect the budget for that to a program of installing meters.
The Club should bite the bullet and get on with it rather than take the easy way out by an increase in fees to cover an estimated blanket cost.
As for using an outfits' solar panels, the only way that is going to be achievable is if there is a tariff without hook up.
peedee
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I don’t have any problem with responsible approaches. However, taking camping back to its roots, not a chance. My days of sleeping in a freezing tent are long past, although I didn’t mind it at the time. I’m afraid I will be running my heating overnight, at a reduced level, just like we do at home.
As far as the price increase is concerned, whilst not welcome I don’t have an issue, It was surely inevitable. These are unprecedented times and the CAMC are no different to any other business with spiralling costs, they can only be absorbed to an extent and then have to be passed on. I just hope the 70p to £2.50 range, is lowest in summer highest in winter, not linked to seasonal price rise, which would not make any sort of sense.
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Not so, the Club can recover the cost of installing electricity meters and their maintenance in the same way any capital costs is recovered i.e. through pitch fees
So you are saying make pitch fees even higher PD? Is that a good idea on top of all these increases from April? Another round of increases this time next year? And unless the club's competitors do the same that will lead to even less income. Don't forget this is a holiday company? Are you proposing meters for hotels and holiday lets?
Pitch demand is at an all time high, the best way forward is to buy another site if the Bristol site does not go ahead, at least sites generate income, your idea will won't at all and lead to even higher pitch fees
But, forgive me for saying so, you have posted you have 'no need of club sites' or and say you don't use them particularly so why do you want the club to install meters?
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Take camping back to its roots
Some indeed do lake that approach however it should not be forced on everyone, you may camp like that but others do not.
Club sites only account for 10% (probably less) of campsites and there are plenty of alternatives to choose from to suit all camping tastes.
Personally I don't think none of us 'camp' - not in our insulated waterproof (most of the time) outfits.
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Yes +1 to all of that.
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So you are saying make pitch fees even higher PD?
Not even higher because the blanket levy for electricity consumption would not be imposed. The customer pays directly for the amount they use.
If they had meters in today, there would have been no increase like we are seeing.
peedee
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That is just illogical in my view.
You have to start from where we are now PD. Currently there are no meters, they have to be installed at a cost of many hundreds of thousands of pounds (10,000, 20,000+ meters plus installation costs at what £50, £100 per meter? - I had a new socket put in yesterday at it cost £65). This money you admit can only come from higher pitch pitch fees. As there no meters now that cost as you admit can only be from higher pitch fees in addition to the increase now. And of course how do you know that the 'levy' (which it is not) would be less than the cost of installing meters.
And yes there would be increases as costs are going up significantly from one year to the next.
But you didn't use one club site in your recent tour (I think you posted) so why are you so bothered? Again would you want this approach to hotels and holiday cottages?
Who wants even higher pitch fees if it can be avoided?
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Who wants even higher pitch fees if it can be avoided?
It can be avoided, you just cannot see it or don't want to. You can also always chose alternative sites, There is much more available out there than Club sites and I prefer to mix an match as it suits..
peedee
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As we are seeing with the problems of Russian oil and gas, self-sufficiency is the name of the game. In the absence of a non EHU tariff, there will be those who can choose a cheaper destination that avoids a 'blanket charge' for EHU.
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Of course they will, and public transport costs, a loaf of bread and a new T-shirt. Would you expect site operators (of any sort) to absorb the increased costs to subsidise end users? Just bite the bullet as we all have to.
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Well PD the same could be said of you regarding seeing things, or are you saying your view in thee correct one?
At least we agree that there are many alternatives and people should choose what they prefer - all inclusive or not. Choice is key, but you appear to want club sites to be in one set way and at great cost? Perhaps people might actually like the all inclusive way of the club?
As I said if you used them I could understand.
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I wonder if the club is considering increasing the supplement to charge electric vehicles due to the increased energy costs.
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some premier inns are bleak but they do have some lovely locations.
Perhaps you should also consider, fuel, for me towing caravan 25mpg, solo 40mpg, with diesel prices going through the roof, this could amount to some big savings, and whats not to like, park up, collect key, crash.
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There has been a massive call over the last decade to move to renewable energy and less wasteful methods of usage. Many have not only future proofed their homes making them less dependant on the grid but some have taken this into their leisure time and their vehicles. Given this and the desire of the club to showcase its green credentials it makes absolute sense to me that they consider an option to opt out of EHU usage. If some are correct in the suggestion that the pitch costs are going to be so high that many will not be able to afford club prices then this option may just make long term economic and environmental sense. Creating non electric pitches is not the way in my opinion but a discounted tariff is. It really is time to be forward thinking and consider the next ten, twenty or more years but the real and immediate issue is that energy sources and costs are running away from us right this minute.
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As long as the club hangs on to the "inclusive of electricity" policy, we do not know what we are paying for it. We do not know what cost of electricity consumption has been factored in to the site fee by the club's accountants. The 'investment in site's development budget' is probably a huge element of the retail price, because the club will make its future fortune from that. These two elements probably represent 60 - 70% of the site fee pre tax. It would be interesting to see an honest breakdown of the costs included in the retail price of a booking.
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The Club have not ruled out the introduction of electricity meters but accept it would be an expensive endeavour but also accept the fairest way is for people to pay by use (AGM Minutes 2021) It is a bit of a chicken and egg situation, its being brave enough to invest the required amount of money to put metering in place. Some have suggested non electric pitches, which do exist in a few location, but how would that work generally? As the vast majority of pitches on Club sites have access to an electrical bollard how would it be policed? Would we find a situation where a specific point is unlocked for use on arrival? Is that really going to happen. If we take the average increase being about £1.62 a night over say 250 nights a year that amounts to about £400 a pitch which would be more than enough to install a meter. We have no idea how long the current prices of electricity will stay high but even without the current crisis the move towards the use of "green" energy I would suggest we won't see the sort of reduction to the levels we have been used to in recent years? The Club have a decision to make.
David
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Given this and the desire of the club to showcase its green credentials it makes absolute sense to me that they consider an option to opt out of EHU usage.
Would it be showcasing its green credentials? If I opted out of EHU I would consume gas for fridge, water and space heating, as well as our normal cooking. Surely it’s greener to use renewable electric from the EHU?
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what a great idea, but why did this not do this many years ago, they have loads of roof space and many will be south facing, not sure if they would have been eligible for the feed in tariff scheme but even so it could have saved a lot of pennies.
dont often use club sites, but for me cutting the amperage could very well be a short term fix, and locking the boxes so that them that trips the breaker have to wait until the wardens are available to reset.
Lots of those who shout about awning heaters etc are those who sit in their vans heater on 24hrs per day watching tv, with a 6ft fridge freezer burning electricity trying to keep cool and a cable hanging out of the window charging the Smart car .
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