Electricity Charges

[WallaceandGromit]

Well all this kerfuffle about how electricity is paid for will not affect me, in over 40 years of caravanning and now motor homing the only time I use EHU is over Christmas and new year the rest of the year I use gas ( 2 11 kg gaslow bottles and 12 volts via 200 watt solar 2 110 batteries and stay at least 4 weeks

 

[Ian Bosman]

Please, do not compare your domestic tariff with that you are charged for a commercial installation. I have had metered on many continental sites so it is not unusual. OF course, do not compare the continental tariffs with ours, different country, different rates

 

[Tony50]

That was a problem when the two main clubs started to do it included. I remembered at that time in the motorhome list that was the foreigner are both fun and facts. We had a vote about it and I compiled all the comments and took it to the NEC that year. We were told it had to be done by law, and they could not separate the electric any longer, but they would review it the following year, they never have. There are comments like I will put the fan heater on and open the windows if I’ve got a pay for it when I don’t want it I’ll make sure it’s used.

That was the caravan club. I couldn’t get to speak to the Camping and Caravanning Club at the show, but I did forward him all the information when I got home. Neither Club has ever been run for us. It’s been run as a business to make money.

Carol

You are absolutely right it's big business I know the Wardens don't get paid much , but years ago I tried to find what Salaries were paid to Management at Caravan & Motorhome Club Head Office, another one of my failures

 

[wp1234]

Always cheaper to use gas for everything, together with a bit of solar you could be quids in. Assuming the site charge had been reduced as it no longer included lecky (some hope)

Bet they haven’t though

 

[cyberyacht]

Because of CAMC "one size fits all" approach, they are faced with a substantial rise in energy costs and because of a reluctance to go down the metering route there are now faced with a catch-up situation or significant increases in pitch fees which many are already balking at on present levels.

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[Soycd]

A few weeks ago I did some rough calculations of heating costs.
Electric vs Gas vs Diesel.

If you buy red diesel it appears to win. Gas vs Electricity is a wash depending on if you get calor/LPG and the cost of electricity. Not a lot in it as far as I can see.

So a <£100 chinese diesel heater and a couple of jerry cans of red diesel is the route I am taking.

Presumably if you use red diesel just for heating then that's ok? You learn something everyday! I wonder how normal diesel comes out in terms of cost when used with say a Webasto/Eberspacher system? I've aways assumed its cheaper than LPG, it's certainly convienient.

 

[Pausim]

Diesel holds about 10kWh of energy per litre. Propane holds about 7kWh of energy per litre. I can get LPG for 80p per litre at Morrisons which equates to 11.42p per kWh. If I could buy diesel for less than £1.14 per litre it would be cheaper than using LPG.

 

[Gromett]

Diesel holds about 10kWh of energy per litre. Propane holds about 7kWh of energy per litre. I can get LPG for 80p per litre at Morrisons which equates to 11.42p per kWh. If I could buy diesel for less than £1.14 per litre it would be cheaper than using LPG.

Not sure that the 10Kwh vs 7Kwh is completely relevant as I suspect the efficiency of the burn will have a big effect. Also the speed of the burn may have some effect? I honestly don't know.

I just did it based on a 2KW lpg heater and a 2KW diesel heater and used their consumption rates.

To work out the rough cost of red diesel. Deduct VAT at 20% from Diesel price, then subtract the fuel duty of 57.95p then re-add the VAT.

So 189p at the moment at local garage. Without vat this would be 157.5p - 57.95 = 99.55p. Add the vat back in = 119.46p for red diesel.

To be honest I did my calcs when Diesel was a bit cheaper.

 

[Gromett]

PS: I also went with Diesel because I don't have to move the vehicle to get fuel. I can just take 2 jerry cans to the garage.

 

[gus-lopez]

Not sure that the 10Kwh vs 7Kwh is completely relevant as I suspect the efficiency of the burn will have a big effect. Also the speed of the burn may have some effect? I honestly don't know.

I just did it based on a 2KW lpg heater and a 2KW diesel heater and used their consumption rates.

To work out the rough cost of red diesel. Deduct VAT at 20% from Diesel price, then subtract the fuel duty of 57.95p then re-add the VAT.

So 189p at the moment at local garage. Without vat this would be 157.5p - 57.95 = 99.55p. Add the vat back in = 119.46p for red diesel.

To be honest I did my calcs when Diesel was a bit cheaper.

so you will be plaesed to know it was only £1/litre on october 31st

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[RYHALLRED]

I’m gonna invent a gas powered telly, after all, they have valves, don’t they?

Lighting? https://www.ebay.co.uk/b/camping-gas-light/bn_7024862852

 

[RYHALLRED]

Can you tow using a EV, if so must reduce your range ?

 

[James-Alex]

One week in France and only stayed on site once. That had elec hookup but wasn’t used. We have diesel heating and hot water. Driving from place to place we topped up our 110ah battery and also had an input from solar. We didn’t watch tv, listened to radio on phone, charged them up on move and also tablet for the odd night we watched film.

I’m happy to not use elec and have a cheaper pitch fee

 

[Zakattak]

Shell are ripping out lpg pumps

 

[poppycamper]

PS: I also went with Diesel because I don't have to move the vehicle to get fuel. I can just take 2 jerry cans to the garage.

Well Gromett you must be a lot fitter than me.... I could no longer carry 2 Jerry cans full of fuel very far..

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[Tony50]

Well Gromett you must be a lot fitter than me.... I could no longer carry 2 Jerry cans full of fuel very far..

We loved the diesel heating in our Chausson, it was convenient, 2 bottles of gas in 2 months in Spain for cooking didn't use all the gas, but back to tanked gas on the new one we have on order

 

[Jaws]

Presumably if you use red diesel just for heating then that's ok? You learn something everyday! I wonder how normal diesel comes out in terms of cost when used with say a Webasto/Eberspacher system? I've aways assumed its cheaper than LPG, it's certainly convienient.

I use heating oil.. cheaper than red and I think ( I am not 100% sure ) it has a better calorific value than red

 

[Tony50]

I use heating oil.. cheaper than red and I think ( I am not 100% sure ) it has a better calorific value than red

My brother just had 800 litres of heating oil delivered Cost him over £700 so less than a £ a litre

 

[Gromett]

My brother just had 800 litres of heating oil delivered Cost him over £700 so less than a £ a litre

Not sure what the consistency of heating oil is?

This guy uses used engine oil. I was half tempted to have a word with a few garages as they have to pay to dispose of it.

 

[seasideBill]

My brother just had 800 litres of heating oil delivered Cost him over £700 so less than a £ a litre

just paid £0.85/litre, was £0.36 in March 2020 before the world went pear shaped.

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[Pausim]

I use heating oil.. cheaper than red and I think ( I am not 100% sure ) it has a better calorific value than red

10.35kWh per litre, a bit more than diesel.

 

[Tony50]

Not sure what the consistency of heating oil is?

This guy uses used engine oil. I was half tempted to have a word with a few garages as they have to pay to dispose of it.

I'd be careful unless you have a really good filter system, plus all the nasties that are in used engine oil, When I had a retail garage I had Davair warm air heaters designed to burn waste oil , thew filters used to get chocker with foreign matter

 

[Gromett]

I'd be careful unless you have a really good filter system, plus all the nasties that are in used engine oil, When I had a retail garage I had Davair warm air heaters designed to burn waste oil , thew filters used to get chocker with foreign matter

I did say I was half tempted. The reason I didn't go ahead with it was that the oil burns at a much higher temperature. I wasn't sure it was safe to do that in the cheap chinese heaters.

 

[Bleau’s]

Just had our commercial electric back for our golf club and caravan park 86 p per unit day rate and 68 p per unit night rate on a 3 year contract 2 year is plus 10 % 1 year is plus 10 more % plus standing charge and climate change levy and VAT we are looking at doing metered supply for next year and special prices for non electric pitches .

 

[Keep Right On]

Stayed at a CL over the weekend. It was the first time I’ve encountered electric metering in the UK. The owner told me he was charging electricity at cost - £0.89 a unit! That’s a commercial rate apparently, but I was shocked. Ended up increasing the cost by 30% and we could hardly be described as heavy users. Anybody else had a similar experience with leccy charges?

Looked at a CL recently - said there was a 10Kw limit included in the fee - pay more if you use more. Seems fair to me

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[poppycamper]

Looked at a CL recently - said there was a 10Kw limit included in the fee - pay more if you use more. Seems fair to me

I don't have an issue what so ever with that.... if I use it I pay for it...
HOWEVER where I do have an issue is sites that say leccy included in pitch fees and you cannot have the pitch without leccy..... So I am forced to pay for leccy even if I don't even plug into the EHU bollard.

 

[jockaneezer]

Every experiment I've seen on running those Chinese heaters on waste oil seems to lead to severe ash build up in the burn chamber. It sets like concrete and needs chiselled off. Having said that, the price of a 2kw heater almost makes them a disposable item after a season's use ?

 

[MillyMoHo]

Yes, we’ve stayed on a couple of sites who are charging a set amount for electric, but there’s no question of a rebate if you use a lot less. We think it’s a rip-off.

 

[bexleyjohn]

As a park operator metered pitches are the only way forward, it has literally become the main topic of conversation within the industry. I had considered closing the Pitch side of the business for the future. Charges will have to go up. They have already and will in the future. I can't understand why we park owners are considered "robbing b------ds" by some on some forums. Most haven't the slightest idea of the costs involved and margins we have to work within. Its a simple case of economics. This is the price, do you want to stay... if not bugger off

Well said that man…lady…person . I am concerned about rising costs of MHing, but then again there are similar rising costs of staying at home.
I had a conversation with a campsite owner a little while ago and whilst discussing the big rise in nightly charges she explained how much the electricity charges had gone up - they were paying commercial rates which are MUCH higher than domestic rates.
At the end of the day it’s up to us - either we swallow the pill, pay up and chill OR we just bugger off!

 

[MichaelT]

We are relatively new to UK motorhoming having spent 30 years in Germany. A German van usually won't have the option of electric/gas heating system they would be just gas or diesel. From what I've seen on UK sites where there is a non metered supply some people really kick the *rse out of it. Awning heaters, fan heaters, etc. so I'm in favour of metered supply. We've never had a van with gas/electric heating, although our new Adria Twin seems to come with it as standard. Maybe I'll change my tune when on a non metered supply in the winter time! Most European sites we have stayed on offer electricity as an 'add on' so you have a choice. Nearly all the stelplatz we've stayed on have been metered. At the end of the day, you get what you pay for and if folk object to paying CAMC prices then they should probably go elsewhere?

Whenever we have been in Germany we notice the first thing the German do when arriving on site/stelplatz is to plug the EHU cable in (closely followed by sat dish up). We have had lots of funny looks from the owners when we say no strom

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