6 Amp Hook up's..... - Page 2

djchapple · 14-07-2008, 06:51 PM

Though many sites, such as Caravan Club sites quote 16Amps they cannot supply 16A to all pitches at the same time, there just isn't that much current available.

Just imagine how much electricity a site of 200 pitches would need. 200 time 16 = 3200 Amps or 800 kW. This sort of power just isn't there. The installation cost and running costs would be prohibitive.

You will just have to get use to using a 800Watt kettle and enjoying life while the water boils very slowly.

Also make a list of all your 240V items and the current they use. You can then insure that at any one time the pitch limit is not exceeded.

ruffingitsmoothly · 14-07-2008, 07:11 PM

It's simple to work out your amps just divide the watts by voltage, so a 1000 Watt appliance would draw just over 4 amps 4.16 to be precise.

We were in Ireland in April and most of the sites were 6amp and we coped ok with our RV TV and Satellite, fridge and for tea we used a 700 Watt kettle takes a bit longer but hey we were on holiday.

I can understand site owners reducing the amperage of their hookups I have often seen heaters and lights left on in awnings with no one about a complete waste of the electricity, they seem to be of the mentality I've paid for 16 amps and I am going to use 16 amps

Regrads Pat

Braunston · 14-07-2008, 07:26 PM

Hi, The CC may quote a ampere but on nearly all of the toilet doors they ask everyone to keep down to a 1kw heater in winter, how do the 2 things equate ???

moandick · 14-07-2008, 07:50 PM

The point here, of course, is that legally the site is not selling you electricity - it is charging you for the hire of the equipment to enable you to connect to the electric supply!

Many moons ago, the law was changed to stop landlords charging for electric supplied to bedsits etc, at a cost greater than the landlord actually paid the supply company. This was to stop landlords from 'winding up' the electric meters to sell minimum amounts of electric at hugely inflated prices.

Up to then Caravan sites could charge £2 or £3 per night for the electric supplied to your pitch. However, after the law changed, making a general charge for electric supplied was not possible because in theory, if you paid for £3 worth of electric then the site had to make sure that you used £3 worth of electric - if you used less, the site was actually making an illegal profit.

The only answer was to supply electric through a meter and you paid for the actual amount used - at the same price that the site paid the supply company.

The problem with that was the cost of installing meters on every pitch, coupled with the fact that sites expected to make a profit on electric, especially during the summer months.

The only way around the law was to give the electric away free BUT to charge £3 or so for the 'hire' of the hook-up equipment. Once again the Site was making a profit on the electric supplied - UNTIL the recent price rises, where the cost of the electric has gone sky high.

So the instant answer - still charge £3 or more for the hire of the hook-up equipment but decrease the amperage supplied to a maximum of 10 amps - or even better (in their view, more profitable) 6 amps - and that way the site is back in profit again - for the time being!

Just as an example - Olley worked out some months ago - that if you used a full 16 amps of electric for every minute of a 24 hour day - at a general cost of something like 9 or 10 pence per unit used - in theory you could burn over £12 of electric per day

Using that example - It doesn't take an Einstein to work out that even at 6 amps useage you can still burn far more than £3 per day - and the basic cost of electric supplied now is probably higher than it was when Olley first worked out his example.

Dick

pappajohn · 14-07-2008, 08:06 PM

its easy enough to change a 16a MCB for a 6a MCB. they cost around a fiver and take 10mins to change BUT then they MUST have a new NIC--IEC test certificate issued for each and every pole converted which costs serious money. and this is the responsibilty of the site owner.
wonder what the sites would do if you insisted on seeing the certificate.

JayDee · 14-07-2008, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by moandick

The point here, of course, is that legally the site is not selling you electricity - it is charging you for the hire of the equipment to enable you to connect to the electric supply!

Many moons ago, the law was changed to stop landlords charging for electric supplied to bedsits etc, at a cost greater than the landlord actually paid the supply company. This was to stop landlords from 'winding up' the electric meters to sell minimum amounts of electric at hugely inflated prices.

Up to then Caravan sites could charge £2 or £3 per night for the electric supplied to your pitch. However, after the law changed, making a general charge for electric supplied was not possible because in theory, if you paid for £3 worth of electric then the site had to make sure that you used £3 worth of electric - if you used less, the site was actually making an illegal profit.

The only answer was to supply electric through a meter and you paid for the actual amount used - at the same price that the site paid the supply company.

The problem with that was the cost of installing meters on every pitch, coupled with the fact that sites expected to make a profit on electric, especially during the summer months.

The only way around the law was to give the electric away free BUT to charge £3 or so for the 'hire' of the hook-up equipment. Once again the Site was making a profit on the electric supplied - UNTIL the recent price rises, where the cost of the electric has gone sky high.

So the instant answer - still charge £3 or more for the hire of the hook-up equipment but decrease the amperage supplied to a maximum of 10 amps - or even better (in their view, more profitable) 6 amps - and that way the site is back in profit again - for the time being!

Just as an example - Olley worked out some months ago - that if you used a full 16 amps of electric for every minute of a 24 hour day - at a general cost of something like 9 or 10 pence per unit used - in theory you could burn over £12 of electric per day

Using that example - It doesn't take an Einstein to work out that even at 6 amps useage you can still burn far more than £3 per day - and the basic cost of electric supplied now is probably higher than it was when Olley first worked out his example.

Dick

A couple of weeks ago we stayed on a CS not far from Wickham in Hampshire and they had installed 'prepay' meters in the 5 pitch field. When we arrived the warden / owner put £6 onto the metre - she thought that would be enough for our 3 nights, but if we needed more just let her know, and if we didn't use it all we'd get a refund (but since we were to be paying on departure it actually meant that we would be paying what we used). They evidently went this route after they had a huge RV type vehicle with washing machine, tumble drier etc., etc. clocking up £15 a day - they were charging £2 for the hook-up.

A good scheme, but as you say, expensive to install.

John

pappajohn · 14-07-2008, 10:25 PM

sounds very fair to me jaydee, and the site will adjust the meter accordingly to cover installation costs (probably forever)

why should you have to pay a set fee when you might not use anywhere near what you've been charged for.
on the other hand.........

keith · 15-07-2008, 07:56 AM

I have seen sites in Spain that charge by the KW, and done through a computer. We have never been charged this way yet, but one site we will be staying on now states long stay campers will be charged this way. We shall find out how this works during the coming winter.

Seem to me that we will be using the solar panel to supliment the electric usage.

olley · 15-07-2008, 01:06 PM

Hi I reckon reducing the ampage will become more common as electric prices rise, some sites especially abroad have had low ampage for years.

Their are ways for us RV/motorhomers to get around it but they are expensive, or very expensive

Victron do a system whereby you incoming power is automatically supplimented by you batteries if need be, see here: http://*********************/victron...ter-p-119.html

I went for the less expensive DIY job, with either system you need a large battery bank, I got 3x180amp from Pheonix batteries and then I ran a separate supply to the charger only via a changeover switch from the electric locker, so when I go on a low ampage site I plug the battery charger in only and run all the electrics from the inverter.

This allows us using an 1800watt inverter to run all the normal low power things like telly and gas heating, plus plug a kettle in or toaster, and works well. Ideally you need a decent charger mine is 50amp, this draws under 3amps on 230v running flat out which means I don't trip a 4amp supply.

Olley

bobandjane · 15-07-2008, 05:36 PM

Hi we had this on a site in Spain and they locked your lead in the box, and we kept over loading it, I got quite good at pushing the trip switch up with a long handle wooden spoon up the bottom of the box where your lead went in, you soon learn to turn some things off and use your 12v and gas. Thanks Bob.