Is EHU metering a good investment?
Comments
-
Based on the £63 for 73 days? That’s not really a valid sample (of 1). My own experience, in a van for 2 over 4 nights we used about 9kWh a day in June (heating, washing up, showering, fridge). At a commercial rate of 60p per. kWh, that’s more like £5.60 a day. Thats without awning heaters (which we don’t use) or electric BBQ or slow cooking or TV. I can easily imagine a family of 4 or 5 using twice that level of consumption (double the shower’s, double the washing up, double the kettle usage). Move that to autumn or winter and you have perhaps another 1/2 again.
The point of metering is it eliminates the guesswork for the site.
3 -
..but that's the rate at a commercial site in summer, not CAMC in the depths of winter...
we all knew (presumably you included) that usage varies wildly with season, and user..
0 -
Yes I do know and I was responding to you as you had used that value to "allay plenty of fears", so are you suggesting that the club has a summer pitch price deduction and a winter price deduction, or are you suggesting something different.
1 -
The thing is that it's not the Government, and I use that word in a neutral way, is not offering this concession it seems to be the Club and associated organisations are putting the suggestion forward. If it were up to me I would prefer, whatever Government was in power to direct any help to where it was most needed and I don't see people who use Club sites and those of associated organisations as being the most in need. I think that is being as apolitical as I can reasonably be?
David
5 -
Electric car charging companies are charging between 75p and 90p per kWh. When domestic electricity was 15p they charged about 30p to 40p
If the same margin is maintained, that puts the commercial cost at 60p give or take. Call it an educated guess.
0 -
A pound a night differential, whether for HS or EHU, is neither here nor there. Any differential would need to be £5 to be worthwhile. Whether that would tie in with real world consumption I couldn't say.
1 -
Some have mentioned 40kw!? (from memory) for a winter 24hr period with most van kit on full chat.
obviously, at the guessed figure above of 60p a unit, this would amount to nearly £15 for the electric, so that's both unsustainable as an add on (no one would take that up, would they?) and as a (non-EHU) reduction offered from the normally lower out of season price...no site is going to take £15 off a 'normally' £25-£29 a night winter pitch...as an example, Minehead is currently £29 a night.
so, if the above usage/cost figures are roughly right, where does that leave sites and campers?
obviously, CLs with much lower headline prices will start to look far more expensive if these sort of figures are factored in.
Even larger sites with incl electric won't be able to maintain a lower winter pitch price with users gobbling power as above...
So all sites (large and small) will be hamstrung between taking a hit on leccy to avoid a massive inclusive price and offering a discount for non-EHU which provides a sensible differential so that the site isnt out of pocket but campers don't feel priced out of the, usually lower, winter prices.
campers will need to look hard at what a winter pitch offers if half the price (or more) is going to be the electric charge.
I guess, as there isn't usually a decent chance for solar assistance in winter in the uk, that non-EHU just won't be taken up, so sites will have to construct their inclusive prices carefully over the year to remain viable.
loading prices (even) more at peak (to balance the books) doesn't seem a good (or fair) idea, especially with far less electric used so each provider will have to look very closely at its upcoming financials.
I imagine the market might gravitate to a situation with less sites being open in the winter as the power costs can only be recouped by high prices and campers will feel cheap off season touring is difficult to find in the uk with far fewer 'winter bargains' around.
it might make longer stays in warmer climes more attractive out of season, where winter temperatures are a lot better and, currently, power prices are reasonable.
0 -
Totally agree with this, David. I would far rather help is given to the very needy, All I was saying was that if it suits them this government will do ‘it’. You will know like the rest of us that we have seen their action cause even more of us to become needy and miserable.
1 -
I have family members living in Eastern Spain who have energy prices ramped up by 65%+, that was early September. I guess the trek to warmer climes will need fuel for a vehicle to get there to save money on energy. . .Mmmm🤔
1 -
YT,
I am not sure 40kWh has been mentioned as a sensible usage? That would be a HUGE amount of electricity drawn by a single caravan or camper. Close to a constant 1.7kW for the entire 24h period. Even 24kWh would be pushing it for a “normal” user, but might be used in winter.
If you add an awning heater, running 24h then you might approach that, but that is discouraged by the club and many CL. Car charging could take you close to that number, but even that would be tough without risk of tripping a breaker.However, 40kWh in a 24h period is possible, even on a 10a hookup. And at 60p/kWh that is £24 not £15. Completely unsustainable on a commercial pitch, as you say.
0 -
CT, apologies for the appalling maths (let's call it a typo😉) ....I think it was PeeDee that mentioned this large number..
either way, even say 24kwh, that would produce the £15 I was referring to, so the rest of the post, and the potential unfolding scenarios, hold true.
1 -
You're right, and that's not cheap either....but I am referring to folk who might stay a little longer than a weekend😉
our costs are spread over 60-90 days so it doesn't (seem to) hurt quite as much.
this autumn electric costs were €0.40 a kWh. I'll be back again this spring so it'll be interesting to check on them.
im sure my upcoming contract has €0.40 in it.
0 -
We have an accord👍🏻😊
0 -
There really is a serious problem if some campers are using those figures quoted. They must be the ‘I’ve paid for it’, I’m keeping my pets warm, awning 24/7 toasty, don’t care brigade’.
Those requests on the back of the toilet doors I read on the last site I was on clearly aren’t working with some. We are clearly paying for their selfishness and may well continue to do so. So what’s to do about them?
4 -
Totally agree!
My take on this is the 1st step in being able to make a change is knowledge. Awareness of what one is using is the only way to make a decision to continue or cut down. It’s the reason that smart meters with on home displays work. You can see very easily what is being used and take action to cut down if needed. Meters on pitches offer this functionality. A nice big notice at Check-In with the cost for an “average” stay in £ and kWh for a couple and/or a family of 4 in summer and winter, gives a target for folk to aim at.
knowlege is power (pun intended) (I’ll get my coat)1 -
Hang on, before you get that coat, it may help keep you warm but seriously that nice big notice will be ignored by those selfish users. Thing is, any future pricing plan will be based on historic data and they, the heavy consumers, will be included in this. We will therefore continue to pay for their contributions to the data. Now some may say they are in the minority and peanuts in the grand scheme of things but every bit does help we must continue to believe. It seems to me that a network wide installation of metered pitches is very much for the future and way down the line. Too late possibly for many of us and certainly of no help in the current energy crisis. May be better right now to replace all those breakers to deliver far less amps. Happy trips ahead!
0 -
Mickysf,
the point is, by then you are on a meter an paying for what you use at the going rate. The notices just give you an indication of what you might use, and therefore what it might cost. If heating the awning is your thing, the so be it, but prepare to pay for it.
But yes - it’s a future plan. Any rollout will take time.
0 -
Totally understand and agree, CTs. My point is that we will continue to pay for those that excessively use. Unfortunately it’s the likes of the ‘you’ thing that we careful users are currently subsidising. That can’t be right.
Unfortunately there are some that say they will not reduce usage until others do, I’m not one of them either. That roll out is way, way in the future me thinks!
3 -
So , what is the correct amount of electricity a member can use ? , because when I go on site I use as much as I need to make my stay comfortable, if I need the heating on I will put it on , you don’t go to a restaurant and order a meal then they tell you that you can’t eat all of what’s on the plate !
i just get on with my stay and I don’t care what other members get up to or do .
7 -
Agree Husky but there are those that take your biscuit, mine and many others too. The fact is at present we all pay the same regardless of how community minded we may be in attempting to achieve what you suggest. Is that the correct way/fair way? That restaurant will have costed the ingredients based not on the greedy wants of a few!
0 -
if this club introduces metering to pitches he will not be using this club sites again
That seems like a double bonus of reducing energy usage and increasing available pitches.
2 -
IMHO, the answer is as much as you like, metered and paid for at the going rate.
I imagine I am more or less average for electric use for a couple in a van, but want the option to be a very heavy user on the occasion I want to charge the car. I want to pay for that privilege at the going rate too.3
but you are probably on the right track
