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watching the club magazines, there is nearly always at least one CL/CS installing it in each issue nowadays. Clearly their research tells them it is a good idea and I doubt we,as motorhomers, would be able to make any difference to that opinion.
G
Its pretty obvious this is the case if you try and get on a CL which has hookups and hard standings. The pitch occupancy is far higher than without electrics. The clubs also advises new CL/CS owners that they will attract more customers if they have hook ups. I think your right that motorhome owners will not make a difference. I do wonder though if rising energy costs will eventually force a change. Site pitch costs are becoming too expensive and I think more and more are turning towards the no frills sites like the CLs and CSs as a result.
peedee
______________________________________________________________ The best journeys are not always in straight lines
For an account of our journeys click >here< (Last updated 1st March 2012)
We stayed on a Site / Stellplatz on the mosel for 7 nights .
The owner came along and opened the elec box and plugged you in then he locked the box no big deal , we used 3 euro’s worth of electricity in a week on a meter.
So if a UK site is charging £2 to £3 per day for elec with the pitch fee that’s a big mark up on the power we use .
If people start stealing electricity ring the police or throw them off the site .
Just wanted to be the thousandth person to thank you
Jed
______________________________________________________________ "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn´t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -Mark Twain
watching the club magazines, there is nearly always at least one CL/CS installing it in each issue nowadays. Clearly their research tells them it is a good idea and I doubt we,as motorhomers, would be able to make any difference to that opinion.
G
I do wonder though if rising energy costs will eventually force a change. Site pitch costs are becoming too expensive and I think more and more are turning towards the no frills sites like the CLs and CSs as a result.
peedee
Agree totally.
And with the price of solar panels now so much cheaper this will also have a bearing.
It is not that simple. We are not allowed to resell at a profit. That is the law. Not intended to be levelled at us but housing landlords but the law is there.
So, if we charge £10 for non hook up pitches and £12 for hook up pitches we are charging £2 for hook up no argument.
We cannot then prove without meters how much electricity you have used, if you have used less say £1 and we charge you £2 we have just broken the law.
Eddie,
As there is no evidence of use I don't see the problem. This is how it used to be done, you either accepted the arbitrary charge for hook up or you used a pitch without which of course you can still do on many sites and it doesn't cause a problem.
I will be using a site this year for which if you want electricity you have to buy a swipe card, initially for £2, there after top ups are £2 a time. Last time I stayed there I didn't bother.
So it can be done. I'll take a clip on meter with me to make sure the law is not being broken.
peedee
But there is no market for it so no one will invest the money needed to do these sorts of things.
What happens when the office is closed and some one turns up and wants electricity? where do they get the swipe card. Tell someone that is leaving in an hour that they need to pay another £2 to top up their swipe card or go without electricity.
All the proposals are inconvenient to the vast majority of our customers who want hook up.
We charge £14 a night for a great site with everything included even free WiFi all I say would say to anyone that doesn't want to stay with us because we include electric is that you can drive five miles down the road, stay at the Taunton services for £18.00 a night and you will not be given electric, WiFi, water or have access to clean toilets and showers. Vote with your feet!
We do listen and try though, you may remember when we first opened I thought that it fair to charge for A framed cars. in 2007 I started towing behind my motorhome and realised that charging for the car was daft so we scrapped it at Cornish Farm!
I wonder with new technology what the cost would be for putting in computerised meters in the Campsite Office. A few years ago before I had a motorhome I had a Motor Cruiser on Windermere, EHU was on a meter and I just paid my account when asked to. They had a central computer that told them how much I had used and it just printed a bill.
Some of the boats in there were 60ft million pound yachts and would clearly run up more of a bill than a 25ft sports cruiser but it was dead simple. You just paid for what you used and it never seemed any hassle.
Could something like this not be adapted? Presumably when you check out you just pay for what you have used. Suits me as I hardly use anything but I gather some people like to heat up awnings and all sorts. Doesnt seem fair to me.
I reckon if you were paying on usage people would be a lot more careful!
______________________________________________________________ Hank the Tank has a website. Follow our adventures at http://www.hankthetank.co.uk
However all that changes for me when on hookup is that I switch the fridge to gas, use our 600W oil filled radiator and the 500W electric kettle. I still use solar to charge the battery (my charger spends most of the time switched off) and diesel heating when necessary at the beginning and end of every day to make getting dressed and undressed more comfortable.
Clearly for me a metered outlet would be a saving over when I am paying £3 or £3.75 for an 'electric' pitch. However am clearly prepared to pay extra to get 4 seasons camping. EHU pitches in the C&CC normally have extra features as well, like not being on the softest piece of mud for miles around.
On the other three seasons I am mostly looking for non-ehu pitches. If I have to use a ehu pitch I balance the inconvenience of getting cabled up to the small saving on gas. In my capacity as an Alan Rogers's site assessor I am often given a free fully serviced pitch, many times last year the cable was not deployed.
One of the reasons I left the CC was the issue of halogen heated awnings when they couldn't give me a non ehu pitch.
My 4 nights camping so far this year was all at below zero night time temperatures and the biggest pain was trying to bend frozen cable back into its stowage.
______________________________________________________________ Regards Frank - - please follow me on twitter @FrankieBryant
Denn wir haben nichts in die Welt gebracht; darum offenbar ist, wir werden auch nichts hinausbringen.
RIP Peter and Fiona Our thoughts are with you Chris and Graham. Fighting with Mavis and Ray
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Time is a great healer Eddie, people have got used to having near enough as much electricity as they like without having to apparently pay for it! However we all pay for it in increased pitch charges. The Caravan Club has in the past admitted putting in any form of metering would now result in uproar from its members.
I have been trying to research the cost of metering and like Barryd I think technology has moved on, costs have reduced and I don't think the capital outlay is as great as some people make out. If that results in reduced costs which can be passed on to the customer at no inconvenience to the site owner then surely that is the way to go? The trouble is, like I said, everyone is now used to an inclusive price and however little capital outlay is required it may be difficult, but not impossible, to claw back? It would only take an organisation like the CC to do it and the vast majority would have to follow.
As an aside, how about >these< There must be a way of locking them in so they could not be bypassed. I also came across a post from a CL owner who has fitted meters. Currently he is only using them for his own purposes to obtain an average electricity consumption per pitch.
Ah, so common sense prevailed, glad to read it. £14 is a very good price, some CLs are charging that. The service area down the road obviously does not want overnighters. I haven't forgot our debate over towed cars and the fact you offered me a free night Its immaterial though as when I can get organised I will be coming to see you to have an alarm fitted. You can give me 15 percent discount instead
peedee
______________________________________________________________ The best journeys are not always in straight lines
For an account of our journeys click >here< (Last updated 1st March 2012)
An interesting debate and the different points of view have been expressed quite eloquently
Unsurprisingly nearly 60% welcome the introduction of more non electric pitches,quite understandable for a motorhome site.
Camp site owners are primarily driven by commercial concerns and will provide hook ups if there is a significant demand for them and consequently attract more custom.
I think Grizzly hits the nail on the head with the comparison between motorhomers and touring caravans..............
Grizzly wrote:
............
Herein lies the big difference between a caravanner and a motorhomer.
Motorhomers prefer to be able to be self-contained and to move on frequently. Caravanners put down roots for longer periods and use their caravan like holiday cottages so need an electric hook up.......
G
The ratio of caravans to motorhomes in the UK is 5:1 ncc stats
so it is obvious that site owners are going to listen more and cater for tuggers,who as Grizzly succinctly explains above rely more on ehu.
Personally I have fitted solar panels and a large leisure battery bank as I like the idea of electrical independence and not being be reliant on an ehu.
Last edited by wakk44 on Sat Feb 04, 2012 9:40 am; edited 1 time in total ______________________________________________________________ cheers Steve
The Caravan Club has in the past admitted putting in any form of metering would now result in uproar from its members.
Tough! If they did it people would still go. From what I can gather their sites are popular. So much so there are endless posts about not being able to get a pitch. It wouldnt be popular because people would be worried they would spend a fortune racking up huge bills. Well perhaps this would educate them to use just what they need rather than the selfish attitude of "Ive paid for it, Im going to use it".
Its got to be better for the environment as well. Unless, secretly these sites have worked out what their base price for a pitch is and are secretly making a profit on EHU.
______________________________________________________________ Hank the Tank has a website. Follow our adventures at http://www.hankthetank.co.uk
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Our thoughts are with you Chris and Graham. Fighting with Mavis and Ray 
