Cost of sites

[FrankNicklin]

Visited a small site in last weekend. Site has approx 50 pitches and some lodges and pods. Got chatting to the owner and apparently his electricity bill last year was £37,000 alone, then you have to add water, waste, wages, upkeep etc and then we wonder why prices are increasing as much as they do.

 

[starquake]

Visited a small site in last weekend. Site has approx 50 pitches and some lodges and pods. Got chatting to the owner and apparently his electricity bill last year was £37,000 alone, then you have to add water, waste, wages, upkeep etc and then we wonder why prices are increasing as much as they do.

(Commerical) electricity prices were terrible last year - no one is doubting that.
If he renegotiates this summer, should be about 30% of that year, and even less if he takes 30 min billing. £37k is about the boundary for that being mandatory anyhow. The reality is commercial deals are about half of the current UK price cap at moment, so "normalish 15p a unit".

The issue was many people took fixes for their budget, when the market conditions said "not to"... and some (mentioning no clubs) likely took 75p a unit rates (or higher).

Even a bad deal will be half of last years fixes, so I do find the price increases a bit unjustified personally -> it's not reflecting real commercial rates, and should us (as customers) be penalised by a poor commercial electricity buying decision by a site owner?

 

[starquake]

Should add, even Haven (much as I'm not a fan of them) on the 400 static unit site my inlaws use didn't have bad rates for their statics even last year (they were around 40p a unit on the invoice from my inlaws)... so clearly some big campsites can get things right. Remember they can't charge more than they pay at such sites by law, so it does show not all sites took the "bad" deal.

 

[steve69]

Why cant electricity supply posts at campsites just be fitted with a Key of some sort to access the power so you have the choice of paying extra for this key or not?
Or is this being over simplistic.

 

[Spriddler]

Why cant electricity supply posts at campsites just be fitted with a Key of some sort to access the power so you have the choice of paying extra for this key or not?
Or is this being over simplistic.

No need for a key as I've heard that some sites remove the breaker to prevent unauthorised use of the EHU.

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[steve69]

No need for a key as I've heard that some sites remove the breaker to prevent unauthorised use of the EHU.

I can imagine some people keeping their own breaker to overcome that trick.

 

[starquake]

Why cant electricity supply posts at campsites just be fitted with a Key of some sort to access the power so you have the choice of paying extra for this key or not?
Or is this being over simplistic.

No, it should be exactly this in my mind. Just needs standard isolation on the socket with a padlock which they unlock if you paying for EHU. Cost of padlock + a plastic socket blank for isolation would be I woudl wager under £30 a post.

CAMC would make it more diffiuclt as in many sites you pick the pitch, but on CACC as they pick "for you" in many cases they could even have the EHU "ready to go" if you have paid.

Or they could just fix it with a sign saying "Have you paid for EHU" on the post advising them not to do so is a crime (Abstraction of electricity without permission is actually a criminal offence). I'm sure most of us law abiding folk would not use something we had not paid for, and it's quite easy to to see if an EHU Orange cable is in from some distance so would easily be audited. I'm sure a piece of laminated cardboard on each post would be the simplest and easiest way to offer non-EHU pitches.

 

[1967bowesj]

I can imagine some people keeping their own breaker to overcome that trick.

Was on a pub stop just the other week that had the electric padlocked, opened when you paid

 

[Suenliam]

You often have to go back to the reception on a CMC site once you have selected a pitch - to pick up the barrier card so going back for a electricity box key if you wanted one would not be unrealistic.
Sue

 

[VXman]

Visited a small site in last weekend. Site has approx 50 pitches and some lodges and pods. Got chatting to the owner and apparently his electricity bill last year was £37,000 alone, then you have to add water, waste, wages, upkeep etc and then we wonder why prices are increasing as much as they do.

Needs to have non electric pitches. No need for motorhomes to have electric nowadays. A solar system is cheap enough.

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[VXman]

Why cant electricity supply posts at campsites just be fitted with a Key of some sort to access the power so you have the choice of paying extra for this key or not?
Or is this being over simplistic.

There is a lot of expense in providing the infrastructure too. A metered point would be even more expensive. If starting from scratch it would be better to have some non electric pitches.

 

[FrankNicklin]

Needs to have non electric pitches. No need for motorhomes to have electric nowadays. A solar system is cheap enough.

Solar no good in winter, we use our van all year round. Was out in -4 foggy overcast weather last weekend EHU is essential.

 

[busbuddy]

On top of all the usual site costs they would have to allow for the miscreants and ne'er do wells that would wait until you walked away from your pitch and swiftly unplug your lead and plug it onto their van.........you know it would happen
Not a situation I would want to police

 

[Barti Ddu]

No need for padlocking ehu posts. In Croatia and Slovenia last year some of the aires we stayed on had metered electricity. Either a coin slot or a touch pad for contactless debit / credit card on each ehu post that serves 4 pitches.

As previously mentioned, also provide some pitches with no ehu provision at all to cut down on infrastructure costs.

The main clubs should be leading on this as they continually crow on about their green credentials and eco awards. (I'm aware the CAMC have started a limited trial into metered pitches and non-ehu pitches, but they should roll it out to all their club sites).

 

[DavidG58]

Numbers can be misleading and make good headlines

Taking a very low 25% average occupancy

That works out at around £8 / night, not including the lodges etc

Not too big a hit from their nightly charge I suspect and will probably be much less as 25% occupancy is I would guess very low

Taking another number view on this , the same occupancy rate will give an income of £1.7 million if a night fee is £30

I think he can afford the electric bill

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[dulvil]

Needs to have non electric pitches. No need for motorhomes to have electric nowadays. A solar system is cheap enough.

Needs to have non electric pitches. No need for motorhomes to have electric nowadays. A solar system is cheap enough.

Cheap solar? Bet it works well in the winter

 

[VXman]

Cheap solar? Bet it works well in the winter

My batteries (3 leisure and one starter) have been full since November with no EHU. My electric use is led lights (very low power use), laptop, phones (again not very power hungry) electronics of fridge and heating system plus the fan in the heating system. That's really not a lot of power. Heating, hot water, cooker and fridge are all LPG - very cheap.

 

[bobnick]

We have of course been parked overnight whereas electric was not available so gas cooking, kettle, heating is/has been used.
However, we do prefer EHU, we get the added benifit of micro wave, electric ring on the cooker, electric kettle and heating if needed.

 

[TheAleMan]

Solar no good in winter, we use our van all year round. Was out in -4 foggy overcast weather last weekend EHU is essential.

They should still adopt non electric pitches and prices though...at least it would be a choice. Many more people are opting to have a decent bank of lithium fitted now days, which is a substantial investment, and allows users to go many days off ehu before needing to replenish, so I would suggest ehu is not essential in winter time.

 

[nicholsong]

Solar no good in winter, we use our van all year round. Was out in -4 foggy overcast weather last weekend EHU is essential.

Have you got a B2B charger? We have and on the run to our destination it would charge our 2x 90Ah LA batteries to full and that would last a w/e, but we only use electric for lights, water pump and Truma blown-air fan.

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[eddie]

Why cant electricity supply posts at campsites just be fitted with a Key of some sort to access the power so you have the choice of paying extra for this key or not?
Or is this being over simplistic.

Why not choose sites that don’t offer electric?

 

[FrankNicklin]

Have you got a B2B charger? We have and on the run to our destination it would charge our 2x 90Ah LA batteries to full and that would last a w/e, but we only use electric for lights, water pump and Truma blown-air fan.

No, I have an old MH with a single wet 105ah battery. I’m looking at a B2B charger. We have yet to live off grid, but battery would only be lights (all changed to LED), water pump and heater fan. Everything else is gas. I have a portable solar panel which we will use through the summer as we try out some festivals. Split charge relay keeps both batteries charged on the road.

 

[FrankNicklin]

My batteries (3 leisure and one starter) have been full since November with no EHU. My electric use is led lights (very low power use), laptop, phones (again not very power hungry) electronics of fridge and heating system plus the fan in the heating system. That's really not a lot of power. Heating, hot water, cooker and fridge are all LPG - very cheap.

You are the exception rather than the rule. I don’t have space for 3 leisure batteries or the money for a solar installation at the moment. Not everyone is the same and their needs are very different. if you can live off grid thats great, your choice, not everyone can.

 

[FrankNicklin]

They should still adopt non electric pitches and prices though...at least it would be a choice. Many more people are opting to have a decent bank of lithium fitted now days, which is a substantial investment, and allows users to go many days off ehu before needing to replenish, so I would suggest ehu is not essential in winter time.

Plenty of sites without EHU, your choice whether you use them or not.

 

[nicholsong]

No, I have an old MH with a single wet 105ah battery. I’m looking at a B2B charger. We have yet to live off grid, but battery would only be lights (all changed to LED), water pump and heater fan. Everything else is gas. I have a portable solar panel which we will use through the summer as we try out some festivals. Split charge relay keeps both batteries charged on the road.

If you can fund the B2B and live without sites you will soon recoup the cost, especially if you or a friend can fit it. You will be sorted out for any touring for the future with the usage you have described, which is same as us and we have been travelling like that for years.

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[FrankNicklin]

If you can fund the B2B and live without sites you will soon recoup the cost, especially if you or a friend can fit it. You will be sorted out for any touring for the future with the usage you have described, which is same as us and we have been travelling like that for years.

If is a big word.

 

[Ralph-n-Bev]

We were in Scotland a couple of weeks ago and on a particular site we were given a card for the electric. £10 on it.
Over the 2 nights we were there , it got to -4 one night -6 the other we used in total £2.20. This was at 34+p per what ever it is. They had a sign in the window what the unit charge was and it was more than it actually is , due to being locked in , he said.
We used the low energy electric kettle, our low energy lighting/TV plus chargers etc. we’ve got webasto B2B lithium batteries and gas cooker fridge .
We always prefer not to get hook up as we know we don’t use much. This proved it.

As the man in reception said metered is great for guys like us, that it’s the way to go, as our usage proved.
That it was about time we weren’t contributing to others excessive usage.
He said people got a shock how much they were being charged . I suppose it’ll stop the electric heater in the awning brigade.

 

[Lenny HB]

Rarely use sites in the UK if I do I avoid ones that include EHU in the price, don't want it or need it.
I don't understand this obsession in the UK to have EHU included, abroad you always get the choice.

 

[Soycd]

I think part of the problem is folk kicking the a**e out of EHU. You see people running electric fan heaters, in awnings etc. Also having a heating system, lets say a Truma Combi 4e, that runs on both gas and electricity is peculiar to UK. You won't find many European vans with that, they'll just be LPG or diesel. Putting meters in might be expensive in the short term but I would have thought the savings long term will counteract that. Basically you have to pay for what you get. I'd agree that campsites might be better if they offered both pitches without electricity and those with.

 

[Lenny HB]

Solar no good in winter, we use our van all year round. Was out in -4 foggy overcast weather last weekend EHU is essential.

IMO a Motorhome should be selfsuficent we rarely ever use EHU even in winter in the UK.
Current van only has 234ah of Gel batteries with 300 Watts never have a problem. Next van I plan to fit 460 ah of Lithium so it will be even more cabable.