Metered electricity - avoid it!

Dunclair, that's a very sweeping and very negative statement when you say "Metered electricity - avoid it!"

Do you mean avoid that particular CL site or do you mean avoid ALL sites which offer metered electricity because you think they will all be running similar confusing systems?

Here at Skybarn Farm CL, near the beautiful and historic city of Lincoln, we have been offering metered electricity to our visitors since October 2022 and it's been received positively by all our guests since then. 

We run a very simple system: take a form, make a note of your arrival meter reading, make a note of your pre-departure reading, multiply it by the cost per unit (currently 36p) and that is what you owe.  Payment by cash or bank transfer and you do not need to hang around to find us before you leave.  Simples.

I'm really sad to see a post encouraging members to avoid metered electric!!  It's a much fairer way for members to stay and pay for ONLY what they actually use.  We've had lots of visitors who've chosen not to hook-up and only pay our pitch fee. 

Metering of electric offers choice; choice to use it or not and choice for it to cost as much or as little as you like.  You, the visitor, is in charge of how much electric you use.  Why would you want to avoid it??

Not only is it better for members, it's also better for the environment.  Our electric use since October last year has dropped by a third.  Win, win if you ask me.

Agree fully. We all know costs have risen, and we are grateful to those CL owners that are now giving visitors more choices. If nothing else it hopefully creates a better understanding of just how much energy is being used.

Being given the choice not to use electricity and just pay pitch fee really is the way forward. Lots of units, including caravans are capable of a few nights off grid. And presumably choice to hook up or not gives a safety backup for those worried about coping off grid. If it becomes difficult hook up for a day to recharge batteries.

We did just this on two tours last year Hja. Majority of time off grid, odd day hooked up. Worked very well for us.

We have happily used Donnewell farm Sedgefield for a number of years and in winter the pitch feel excluded electric which was metered on each hook up. Simply reading ot when arrived and again when leaving paying the difference. 

A great fully serviced pitches near a lovely little town village

Like the OP we are also very wary of any sites that charge metering after having being burnt badly a few years ago so can understand why the OP recommends avoiding sites that have metered pitches.  Unfortunately one bad apple spoils it for others. 

In our case despite us using gas for heating, gas for fridge etc somehow overnight our usage was at its highest when we were asleep and the heating turned down.  When we challenged the owner, he did not argue and refunded us.  Luckily I had taken readings in the evening and then again in the morning.

Just to add that we do use a site with metered pitches regularly who charge a flat rate of £3.50 per day. You pay in advance for the period you are staying on site.  A reading is taken on arrival and another when you leave.  Any credit is refunded back to your card the same day.  However if it is less than a £1 they give you the choice of paying that balance to a nominated charity.

I recently visited a CL with metered electricity.  Meter easy to read on each pitch and then you fed in £1 coins as required. You could see what you had left all the time.  The site even had a change machine to obtain coins. The owner has said that when the price of energy decreases he will be returning to no extra charge for the electricity.

I am not keen on meters needing coins.  Largely because I tend not to have much cash - dont use it these days.  Where CLs need cash for payment I have to make sure I have been to an ATM before going away.  I note you say there was a change machine, but I guess this was just notes to coins.

I have come across a great system. It shows what can be done. On arrival go to a machine, press the button to check in, enter how long you intend to stay. You are then asked if you want electricity or water, if yes you add credit for this. The transaction is calculated and you can pay by cash or card. I used a credit card and wanted neither electricity or water. The machine issues you with a smart card  for which there was a deposit. This opens the barrier to let you in and allows access to showers and toilets. At any time I could go back to the machine and add credit to the card for electricity or water and I presume to extend my stay. On leaving, use the card to open the barrier, go to the machine , insert the smart card and any credit and the deposit is refunded. The machine keeps the card, I assumed for reuse.

No staff were needed although someone did turn up in the morning in a van to service the facilities.

peedee

Fantastic, PD, but a bit much to expect from a CL probably. Sounds more suitable for a big commercial set up 👍🏻