Fair use of electricity on sites

[Conal]

Just watched a Vlog about CSs and CLs, and other smaller private sites. The Vlogger suggested that, with electricity costs rising, we should considerate to the site owner and not “waste” their provision, especially in the winter. He quoted cases of guests who had electric heaters in their awnings and others who have the view “I’ve paid for it and so I am going to get my money’s worth”. He suggested that such practices will result in site closures, at least in the colder months, higher site fees, or electricity meters being installed which will have to be paid for by higher fees.
I am probably guilty as I always use my electric ring on sites and, in colder weather, leave the heating on a low electric setting when out for the day.

 

[irnbru]

I guess it would depend on how much the electricity costs. If I thought it was OTT then yes I'd use more than if the price was less. I guess its mostly hypothetical for us really as we are only on occasionally sites with EHU.

 

[Lenny HB]

About time it was all metered then us who don't need it don't have to subside the idiots.

 

[Kannon Fodda]

I suspect metering of EHU will increasingly become the norm. Done correctly for many of us rather than the flat rate that has to be based on expectations of heavy use, it could be cheaper.

In theory if you are reselling electric you can't make a profit, but I suspect you can still have a nominal charge for the maintenance. So if a site were to meter the actual use, and charge a one off hook up charge, it could be better value for the average camper?

 

[Lenny HB]

So if a site were to meter the actual use, and charge a one off hook up charge, it could be better value for the average camper?

Probably cheaper for Motorhomes certainly ones like us who's heating is gas only. It will hit the caravaners hardest especially the ones with the fan heater in the awning.

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[Swifter]

About time it was all metered then us who don't need it don't have to subside the idiots.

Pardon ? I can’t hear you over the sound of my fan heater warming up the awning .

Edit
You used the same example

 

[Kannon Fodda]

It is human nature that a flat rate charge for power results in excess use. When I see a pricing difference of even £4 a night, let alone more for pitches with hook up to non hook up, and yet I know that my home use of power (at least until the recent crisis) was around £40 a month, my brain says someone is making money from me and so I'm not going to behave as I would at home and turn stuff off. The brain says I've paid for it. Not very environmentally friendly.

But a problem for sites who do want to meter is the added hassle of how to collect that. Do you have pre-payment cards for which you need deposits? Coin meters are old hat and nobody carries cash anymore. Do you put barriers on the gates to stop people driving off until the meter is read and paid for?

 

[bladerunner]

I've seen electric heaters on full in awnings when the owners were out for the day.
I'm used to Austrian sites charging per unit. Big motorhome in the cold and it costs me. Tant pis.
See no reason why it shouldn't be introduced here - especially as people are likely to start charging electric cars.
Don't see why the new couple in the tent should subsidise excess usage.

 

[pappajohn]

You aren't paying any more than the site owner for electric.
Legally they can't charge any more for electric than the electric company charge them.
What the do charge extra for is use of the infrastructure .. cables, fusebox on bollard and the bollard itself for which they can charge what they think a suitable rate.

 

[Pugsy]

I was on site in Spain ,about 10 years ago that gave you 4kw(with acsi card) and them charged per kwh after that.
So it has been around for a while, i thought it was a fair idea and stops to much abuse going on. With current prices it would certainly keep the site owners happy.

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[Otter Spotter]

I have already visited CL and CS sites that are charging a winter premium for electric and I don’t have an issue with that. I use a combination of Electric heating if I am hooked up or Diesel heating if not.
If we are using the Electric fan heater it’s never more than half setting and it’s controlled by thermostat, so don’t think I am taking the p@ss.

 

[Steve and Denise]

Meter is the best way as I can’t think of any Motorhome who would abuse electric

 

[Mr porky]

It's only fair. Fair use and all that. Unfortunately the general public can not be trusted to do the right thing so yes charge for it.

 

[stevewagner]

Its not necessary to leave heating on when not in your van. They soon warm up when you get back.

 

[Conal]

stevewagner Yes, I know I could heat the motorhome up when I come back but, as I said, I think I am one of the guilty ones. I would have to use a combination of electricity and gas to properly heat the van in cold weather, but if I leave the electric heater element on, it will stay warm all night. If I was charged by the unit I would use the lpg.

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[stevewagner]

stevewagner Yes, I know I could heat the motorhome up when I come back but, as I said, I think I am one of the guilty ones. I would have to use a combination of electricity and gas to properly heat the van in cold weather, but if I leave the electric heater element on, it will stay warm all night. If I was charged by the unit I would use the lpg.

Fair enough but I would also be concerned in general about leaving anything on when not there.

 

[Steve and Denise]

Well I may have this all a bit wrong but at home our van is on ehu and set to frost stat ie 6deg
But as I pay for it I will get my monies worth

 

[DavidG58]

A simpler option might just be to fit lower rated breakers, do people really need 16A

In France we went to a site where you chose how many amps you wanted, paying more for higher, monsieur followed you to pitch and inserted your breaker choice

Only problem I guess would be constant resetting , but most hook up posts seem to be left unlocked these days

 

[Conal]

stevewagner But doesn’t everybody leave the motorhome “plugged in” on site when they go out for the day? However I understand your point and will now have to make sure I don’t leave my PC, iBook etc on charge when I am out. I have heard of fires due to appliances left on charge.

 

[Wabs]

It’s a very open opinionated subject, and so it should be, we are all different and have different needs for usage and so on,I would like to think I don’t take the piss, as we don’t have an awning for the the MH, and our heating system is very good, but as others have posted I have seen people on sites ,MHs and tuggers with awnings,who have heaters in them which is fair enough,im no judge,,but I do feel that leaving them on when youre not in the unit is not on,,

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[Pugsy]

My heating is gas and the van is completely run on 12v ,i dont have a mains system so cant plug into EHU even if i wanted to.
I built my van for off grid, so i cant take the pee if on a site .
I just have long showers in the shower block.

 

[Scotch mist]

We have alde wet heating , in winter it takes to long to heat up from cold so really need to leave it on all the time , we just turn down the temperature if going out

 

[Ivory55]

Funny that the amount spent on solar, b2b chargers, and lpg tanks for cheap gas and people are worried about electric

 

[Mr porky]

We are currently on a site with 6amp that if it goes over resets itself after 1 minute. This just does us for hot water , heating and fridge.

 

[Gellyneck]

I've actually seen a lady sitting reading outside the couples motorhome with a fan heater on full pelt connected to an extension lead (no doubt plugged into an internal socket)! And, no she was in "fresh air" not in an awning!
She was less than chuffed when the owner told her to cease and desist!

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[The Wino]

Funny that the amount spent on solar, b2b chargers, and lpg tanks for cheap gas and people are worried about electric

I'm not worried about electric but do like the option not to have it

 

[SteveJ]

We stayed at a site in Wales a few years ago where each pitch had a card meter. You were given a card when you arrived and you could put as much or as little on the card as you wished. When you left you handed the card back and you were refunded the balance. When talking with the site owner he had made the decision to fit meters because he was looking at having to charge £7 or £8 a night for hookup to just about cover his electricity bills (this was at least 5 years ago) Since fitting meters his annual bill had fallen by almost 50%, which showed how much was being wasted. When you can actually see, and have to directly pay for, how much electricity you are using it's surprising how many awning heaters etc get turned off. He told us that he regularly used to go round the site and used to see fan heaters and the alike running in awnings in the middle of the day when the owners were not even on site, or the cases where people were sitting in their awnings in the evening with the doors wide open to get some air in because they were too hot but with their heaters still running.
We stayed on site for 3 nights and used a grand total of just over £4 of electricity. Personally I would much prefer to pay for what I use and not subsidise those who have decided to attempt to heat the entire site, or to have sufficient lights around their pitch to give Blackpool a run for their money.

 

[Neilfg]

We stayed with a group on a metered site in Winter in Germany 2018, you got 4kw free per day (an ACSI rate). We all had heat on but a couple put the heating at 3kw, after 2 nights they checked their bill it was nearly 40€, everyone unplugged . Most bills were around the 12€ for the 3 nights, think we stayed for 5 nights total. The meter made you very conscious of the power you used.

Never stayed at a metered place since, till last night, we stopped at Fourwinds in March they have metered ehu, when checking in you load a card, card runs out so does electric, it can be topped up by the warden. We are using gas for heating as well as electric running at 1kw. Only other change is that we are not using the electric ring for kettle etc..

Quite interested to see how much we have used for the 2 nights.

 

[robnchris]

You aren't paying any more than the site owner for electric.
Legally they can't charge any more for electric than the electric company charge them.
What the do charge extra for is use of the infrastructure .. cables, fusebox on bollard and the bollard itself for which they can charge what they think a suitable rate.

Wouldn't that cost be in the price of the pitch? ie grass only pitch cheaper than a fully serviced hard standing pitch.

 

[Steve and Denise]

We used a site at Gargrave with slot meters I do know he could adjust the rate as we moved pitch and the cost almost doubled per day but he did come over and alter the rate once I said.

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