Is EHU on the up

[Jewellbags]

Has anyone seen any evidence of , justifiably I guess , increases in pitches with EHU ? - I think we might be living on solar at the sites a bit more this year .

 

[huck999]

Nearly every site in portugal has 6A at the pitch. All offer electricity as an extra, usually €2 a night. Most have a padlock that is taken off, or a contactor that is remotely energised, if you pay the extra.
Unfortunately, the rain in Portugal falls mainly every day, so not much chance of just using solar. Still, 6A is enough to get by on, toaster, hair dryer etc with a bit of juggling. No sign yet of any price increases though.

 

[poppycamper]

And your not demanding

NO!!!! haha

 

[Garry - June]

This last weekend we attended an interesting Q&A session hosted by one of the major clubs with the club chairman and other senior club officials on the panel.
Electricity and the rising cost was the first item on the agenda along with the present situation of having no option to electric pitches.

I understand this is currently being addressed and trialed with a view to metering useage and along with the provision of non-electric pitches.

as usual the UK way behind continental sites..

 

[hblewett]

as usual the UK way behind continental sites..

and, as usual, more expensive

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[violet]

as usual the UK way behind continental sites..

A couple of years ago we were on an Italian sosta which was free to stay but had electric meters for each place. In two days we used about 60cents of electricity. Yet here the CMC expects us to pay the same as MHs using vastly more electricity for big fridges, freezers, cookers, TV systems, aircon, etc. All these things are great for those who want them but I think that all CMC sites should either have metered places, or at least the choice of not having electricity if that's what a member wants.
Metering is far better though, that people pay according to consumption. Can you imagine the furore if all homes were charged the same fixed amount of money for electricity and gas regardless of the amount used?

 

[krclink]

I was under the impression, maybe wrongly, but I thought it was allowable to add a small standing charge to cover the installation and maintenance of the electric supply on site.

You cannot sell electric for more than it costs you. Hence that is why campsites charge an inclusive price for the pitch. That way if someone uses a little electric or a lot, then the pitch price is effectively changing but nobody knows by how much, as there is no check. By going through a metered system, then the pitch price stays constant, and if electric is used, then that is paid for at the going rate. As far as I know, this is how it operates.
How much extra can one add to cover maintenance and installation costs, and for how long?

 

[82125]

We stayed on a site in the south of France where on arrival you chose electric yes / no

Then if yes you chose how many Amps with different prices for each, I think they had three options

Wondered how it would work, we chose 16A

By the time we got to our pitch a man was fitting our 16A breaker

Very labour intensive and means you might have to wait to get connected , but I guess they get abused

If I ran a CL I don’t think I would give 16A, can’t see why anybody should ever need that, but would make it clear before booking and explain what can be run at 10A. But even that I think is 2kw, so potential for 60p / hour, £5 / day will soon be the minimum charge for electricity on a pitch I reckon

there are lots of reason why 16amp is needed.
Even with the Alde heating/hot water system turned down to 2Kw, thats the 10amps used straight away, before I even think about fridge, microwave, toaster, lighting, tv, charging devices, charging leisure batteries e.t.c e.t.c.

 

[DavidG58]

there are lots of reason why 16amp is needed.
Even with the Alde heating/hot water system turned down to 2Kw, thats the 10amps used straight away, before I even think about fridge, microwave, toaster, lighting, tv, charging devices, charging leisure batteries e.t.c e.t.c.

Set your Alde to 1kw

Take less gadgets

Nobody needs 16A, most on here claim not to need any

 

[82125]

Set your Alde to 1kw

Take less gadgets

Nobody needs 16A, most on here claim not to need any

how about no!
I live onboard, when I do pay for a site its to use the facilities.. thats why I PAY in the first place!
(I hardly think a laptop, phone and mobile router is too many gadgets either)

Think of it this way...
Why dont YOU use more electricity and take MORE gadgets since youre already paying a fixed price for the pitch
(why assume others should change because you personal opinion differs to them?)

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[599]

they are always givers & takers & we have seen over our vast years caravaning & mh's there are a lot more takers its just the same with electric . we have heard many people WE have paid for it so we shall use it just like the FLT's we haven't paid for it but we shall use it i will wait for the flack

 

[poppycamper]

they are always givers & takers & we have seen over our vast years caravaning & mh's there are a lot more takers its just the same with electric . we have heard many people WE have paid for it so we shall use it just like the FLT's we haven't paid for it but we shall use it i will wait for the flack

599... What category do you fall into.??

 

[tonyidle]

A site I use at Newark-on-Trent seems to have the perfect system. You're supplied with two cards against a deposit as you arrive. One card turns your EHU on, the other turns it off. Which pitch you choose is irrelevant as is moving pitches mid-stay as you are charged against the card number. When the cards are returned your deposit is refunded minus the charge for electricity used.

 

[599]

599... What category do you fall into.??

which do YOU

 

[poppycamper]

which do YOU

Naw naw I asked first..

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[599]

That's my biggest gripe about some sites... Especially club sites.. they won't let you have a pitch and NOT pay for leccy, even if you don't

That's my biggest gripe about some sites... Especially club sites.. they won't let you have a pitch and NOT pay for leccy, even if you don't use EHU.

no one is forcing to go on them its you choice

 

[599]

Naw naw I asked first..

 

[599]

Yes we may be a bunch of Moaning Myrtles.... But IMV with good cause in the case when "forced" to pay for something we don't want or need...
Some of us spend considerable amounts of money to be independent from the EHU bollard.

there are lots of site without leccy you can go on

 

[poppycamper]

there are lots of site without leccy you can go on

Yes there are indeed... but you missn the point..
Why should I have to go to specific non leccy sites and effectively be banned from the majority of sites because I don't want/need leccy.
All I am asking (Not unreasonably IMV) is for sites to give you a pitch that is fitted with an EHU bollard but not demand that you use and pay for it.
Booked into a site next week that does just that... they got my money and custom... the nearby Club Site did not.!!!

 

[peterc10]

Yes there are indeed... but you missn the point..
Why should I have to go to specific non leccy sites and effectively be banned from the majority of sites because I don't want/need leccy.
All I am asking (Not unreasonably IMV) is for sites to give you a pitch that is fitted with an EHU bollard but not demand that you use and pay for it.
Booked into a site next week that does just that... they got my money and custom... the nearby Club Site did not.!!!

I think you may be missing the point. It is a free country and the site owner is free to set their own rules. Equally you are free not to use their campsite if you don't like those rules. The market will decide whether the site owner was right or wrong.

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[poppycamper]

I think you may be missing the point. It is a free country and the site owner is free to set their own rules. Equally you are free not to use their campsite if you don't like those rules. The market will decide whether the site owner was right or wrong.

Well I100% disagree with you but I am not going to got into a "let's go to Coventry" slagging match with you..

 

[Quackers]

As a site owner I would prefer to see rain on a meter, no one would pay for that so all the way and plenty of solar for everybody.
Chin up people soon be summer.

 

[Ivory55]

As a site owner I would prefer to see rain on a meter, no one would pay for that so all the way and plenty of solar for everybody.
Chin up people soon be summer.

You have my sympathy. Haha

 

[TrevandSheila]

We’ve been pleasantly surprised here at Camping Eden in Peniscola that there’s no cap on electricity used. They’ve also now got free wifi! You give a 20euro deposit for a router and all the cables, there’s a box with each pitch. As well as your own sink. We’re on our eighth night here (free with ACSI). Been surprised to have only met a couple of other Brits. Weathers been good but cold strong winds, at least no rain……

 

[Lenny HB]

there are lots of reason why 16amp is needed.
Even with the Alde heating/hot water system turned down to 2Kw, thats the 10amps used straight away, before I even think about fridge, microwave, toaster, lighting, tv, charging devices, charging leisure batteries e.t.c e.t.c.

The Alde is basically is a gas heater so you don't really need electric for it, fridge runs off gas I can't see the need for a toaster or microwave in a motorhome.

A Motorhome is a self contained unit I really don't see the need for EHU at all.

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[violet]

As Jim stated above... expensive to fit and extra work to maintain..
IMV the only fair way is to either use leccy or you dont and all sites should have a policy that if EHU available on pitch you decide if you want to use it or not.
If not... you don't pay.. If you do you pay going rate at what ever the site charges

That's a position that is better than nothing but it isn't really fair. Suppose I want to use a small heater for a short period of time but that is all. I should not have to pay the same as a large consumer of electricity using a large number of appliances. Metering for each pitch is the only fair way forward.

 

[wp1234]

I find it fascinating that folk pay £40 - £50 plus for a pitch per night and then whinge about it. … why !
Just don’t pay it and go elsewhere otherwise campsite owners will continue to charge £40 - £50 plus .

 

[Ivory55]

I find it fascinating that folk pay £40 - £50 plus for a pitch per night and then whinge about it. … why !
Just don’t pay it and go elsewhere otherwise campsite owners will continue to charge £40 - £50 plus .

Ahh but they need something to moan about, it’s no good unless they can say rip off. Haha

 

[Lenny HB]

I find it fascinating that folk pay £40 - £50 plus for a pitch per night and then whinge about it. … why !
Just don’t pay it and go elsewhere otherwise campsite owners will continue to charge £40 - £50 plus .

Do you know people who pay that much I certainly don't.

 

[82125]

The Alde is basically is a gas heater so you don't really need electric for it, fridge runs off gas I can't see the need for a toaster or microwave in a motorhome.

A Motorhome is a self contained unit I really don't see the need for EHU at all.

gas heater than can be run off electric though. The 1Kw setting someone else suggested I use is nigh on useless other than in Summer.
Most motorhomes from the factory are no where near equipped to not need EHU. Self contained but spec'd to be reliant on EHU unless the owner changes that.
I was actually shocked when I got this Burstner (second hand) how utterly useless it was off grid. Completely reliant on EHU. Solar only charged the starter battery, and no inverter let alone sockets for off grid use.
I dont have a toaster personally as I never eat breakfast, but I would like to use the microwave (which I cant currently). I dont want to need to use gas other than for things I cant really avoid like heating and the fridge. Salads and Sandwiches arent appealing mid Winter.

I just booked in for hopefully another 480w panel (if it will fit, which would take me to almost 1Kw of solar) and another 2 batteries to be fitted taking me to 4, but from the factory and even used, most are nowhere near capable of being self sufficient from what Ive seen).

The point being, that when I do periodically book in to a campsite and pay, yes I do want to run everything from the electric and not use my gas which can sometimes a pain to find and expensive.

£25 pn to sleep in my own van in essentially a field isnt particularly appealing to me unless I also get to fire up the xbox on 240v mains for media steaming, cook in the microwave or toasty maker, run my ice machine, get heating and hot water on electric. Other than emptying the loo and taking on water its the only reason I go to sites in the first place. So yes I want 16a EHU when Im paying.

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[gus-lopez]

I don't tend to use sites. I certainly wouldn't use one where I was paying for something I have no use for.

Most VW transporters i see appear to rely on hookup. There may be exceptions but the vast majority seem have limited off grid capability…

like a toilet

Friends changed an old T4 for a new T6. has a compressor fridge & solar panel. no toilet .they stay off grid all the time rarely ever use a site?

I hardly think a laptop, phone and mobile router is too many gadgets either)

I have that x2 & only use solar. My wife even charges all her stuff in the van here at home so as not to use electricity.