15kWh per day, is it enough in an average southern UK winter?

[Dorset Diver]

Fridge, kettle, hot water for showers x 2, and heating, lighting and battery charging. Is 15kWh per day enough in an average southern UK winter? I know it depends on a 1001 things but just a rough guess.

 

[Richard n Ann]

Fridge, kettle, hot water for showers x 2, and heating, lighting and battery charging. Is 15kWh per day enough in an average southern UK winter? I know it depends on a 1001 things but just a rough guess.

That's £4.95 at my 33p/kwh rate. I use about £3 (9kwh) a day on average for both gas and electric. Don't use any gas so it's just the standing charge of about 25p or something. The house is heated by a 3.5kw air con in the living room. I usually shower every other day in winter.

 

[Lenny HB]

That is about 120ah at 12v way more than enough in a Motorhome.

 

[Pausim]

Last Christmas we were on a metered site which allowed 10kWh per day of electricity which was not enough. I kept within the limit with a bit to spare by using gas for heating and hot water. I think I used about 3 litres of propane per day for heating and hot water which is 21kWh. In total that mounts up to nearly 30kWh per day. If you use gas for heating your 15kWh per day should be plenty but not if you want it to cover heating and hot water as well.

 

[Lenny HB]

Last Christmas we were on a metered site which allowed 10kWh per day of electricity which was not enough. I kept within the limit with a bit to spare by using gas for heating and hot water. I think I used about 3 litres of propane per day for heating and hot water which is 21kWh. In total that mounts up to nearly 30kWh per day. If you use gas for heating your 15kWh per day should be plenty but not if you want it to cover heating and hot water as well.

I never considered using electricity for heating as in every van we have had the heating has been gas only.

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[Pausim]

I never considered using electricity for heating as in every van we have had the heating has been gas only.

Electricity only was how I first read the OPs question but he may just be meaning the 12V needed to power the gas heating etc.

 

[Dorset Diver]

My question related to a CL and the 230v EHU supply. 15kWh is included in the price, any kWh's over are charged at £1.11 per unit. I just wondered if, roughly speaking, using the supply for the fridge, kettle, hot water for showers x 2 per day, and heating, lighting and battery charging would exceed the allowance. We can only cook on gas unless we use the 400w Remoska. Sorry for any confusion.

 

[Guigsy]

If you have a refillable gas cylinder, it might be more economical to run heating from that?

If the fridge is 3-way, it'll burn through a few kWh of electricity per day, but only sip gas. 2-way compressor fridges are far more electricity efficient.

 

[autorouter]

That is about 120ah at 12v way more than enough in a Motorhome.

I don't usually correct typos, but avoid confusion it's more like 1200Ah at 12V.

 

[Pausim]

My question related to a CL and the 230v EHU supply. 15kWh is included in the price, any kWh's over are charged at £1.11 per unit. I just wondered if, roughly speaking, using the supply for the fridge, kettle, hot water for showers x 2 per day, and heating, lighting and battery charging would exceed the allowance. We can only cook on gas unless we use the 400w Remoska. Sorry for any confusion.

What I did was read the meter on arrival. After the first day I had used 2 days worth of electricity so I used gas from then on. When we were leaving after 4 days the landlord came over to read our meter said nothing to pay and everybody was happy. It was a nice CL in the Chilterns with water and drainage on every pitch.

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[Hoovie]

I never considered using electricity for heating as in every van we have had the heating has been gas only.

Is that typical for German Motorhomes? I think most newish British Motorhomes have Gas+Electric Space Heaters (adds much better flexibility to use either OR even use both for faster warmup (My own is a 3kW Gas + 2kW Electric Truma system).

Actually, just thought .... an owner of a Brand New 2021 Hymer I did a setup for had Electric option for both Water and Space Heating.

 

[Lenny HB]

Is that typical for German Motorhomes? I think most newish British Motorhomes have Gas+Electric Space Heaters (adds much better flexibility to use either OR even use both for faster warmup (My own is a 3kW Gas + 2kW Electric Truma system).

Actually, just thought .... an owner of a Brand New 2021 Hymer I did a setup for had Electric option for both Water and Space Heating.

With the Carthago I have on order I didn't bother with the electric option. £650 pays for a lot of gas. Also we spend upwards of 120 nights away a year only about 4 or 5 of them on EHU.

 

[Hoovie]

With the Carthago I have on order I didn't bother with the electric option. £650 pays for a lot of gas. Also we spend upwards of 120 nights away a year only about 4 or 5 of them on EHU.

that's fair enough and makes sense for your style of camping.
I read your comment as meaning the German vans (I think you only go for Germans?) generally don't have electric heating even available, which seemed strange.
(not sure on the typical Swift, Autotrail, Autosleeper, etc you can even deselect the option?)

 

[Lenny HB]

that's fair enough and makes sense for your style of camping.
I read your comment as meaning the German vans (I think you only go for Germans?) generally don't have electric heating even available, which seemed strange.
(not sure on the typical Swift, Autotrail, Autosleeper, etc you can even deselect the option?)

I think you will find nearly all German Vans offer it as an option. With Carthago if you order RHD it's standard but you have to pay £650 extra for it! I Ordered LHD so I had the option not to have it.

 

[Dorset Diver]

Lenny HB Are you purchasing in the UK this time Lenny or abroad?

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[Pausim]

LPG is far cheaper than electricity, particularly at commercial rates.

 

[Soycd]

that's fair enough and makes sense for your style of camping.
I read your comment as meaning the German vans (I think you only go for Germans?) generally don't have electric heating even available, which seemed strange.
(not sure on the typical Swift, Autotrail, Autosleeper, etc you can even deselect the option?)

We've always had LHD German vans and non have had electric heating, only gas or diesel. We have a RHD Adria Twin on order and that has gas/electric heating, although I don't see us using the electric. Current LHD van has just diesel heating.

 

[Lenny HB]

Lenny HB Are you purchasing in the UK this time Lenny or abroad?

UK a first for me, up until now 3 Motorhomes & a caravan self imported.

 

[Hoovie]

I think you will find nearly all German Vans offer it as an option. With Carthago if you order RHD it's standard but you have to pay £650 extra for it! I Ordered LHD so I had the option not to have it.

Sounds similar situation to the kitchen differences between UK and Continental vans, re Full Kitchen vs little grill .
Maybe the typical site on the continent has such limited current hookup electric heating wouldn't be much use even if fitted?

 

[Dorset Diver]

UK a first for me, up until now 3 Motorhomes & a caravan self imported.

Thanks. Which dealer have you graced with your business? Also, did you go for the lithium option?

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[Pausim]

Perhaps we will be waving bye bye to 16A hook ups over here soon. Last year I visited a really nice, recently updated, site and noticed the breakers were now 10A not 16A. Much cheaper to change the breakers than fit meters as a short term solution to rocketing electricity prices. 6A would be enough for battery charging and fridge but not kettle, heating or hot water. As long as I knew when I booked that it was only a 6A supply I would be quite happy with it.

 

[Dorset Diver]

We have often used aires and sites abroad with just 6A. With careful management we run the fridge, charge the batteries, run the electric water heating, 1000w electric kettle, cook with our Remoska, and most importantly of all, run my wife's hair dryer ... not all at the same time of course.

 

[Lenny HB]

Sounds similar situation to the kitchen differences between UK and Continental vans, re Full Kitchen vs little grill .
Maybe the typical site on the continent has such limited current hookup electric heating wouldn't be much use even if fitted?

Not bothered with the oven option either, will kit the van out with lithium & get a small air fryer and maybe a halogen oven or Romeska.

Thanks. Which dealer have you graced with your business? Also, did you go for the lithium option?

Keeping the dealer quiet as not an official dealer for the mark, will be doing the lithium myself.