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On the average UK domestic tariff a 2kw (the one we use occasionally is only a 750w/1500w heater and so would be cheper if we did lewave it on overnight) heater on constantly for 8 hours overnight would cost £2.29. If left on overnight I would assume most would click on and off on the thermostat rather than be on for eight hours solid. A lot of sites we look at now are charging up to £5 per night. This leaves more than enough to cover our coolbox, lights and the occasional charger running.

If you looked at my earlier example a lot of sites are generally drawing more from EHU charges than they are spending on electricity in total - so this pays for the common areas (ie lighting & heating in the toilet/shower blocks, offices, eception areas etc).

They get a commercal tariff which as volume users generates them bigger discounts tna we can get as domestic users.

If they put a meter on each EHU point there are a number of issues invlolving VAT and potentially becoming an energy supplier. How do they go about prooving their meters are accurate. How do they set the price they recharge at? Then there is the administration nightmare of readings just before someone plugs in and unplugs and calcluating the cost accurately as each person leaves. Same applies to prepad cards, each one will have to be checked as you leave the campsite. This will in fact drive up their costs with staff having to deal with the charges and in maintenence on maybe 100+ meters, along with the massive cost of installing the hardware in the first place which they will have to fund up front. I like leaving a campsite in my own time without having to go and queue at reception to pay extra or in the case of prepaid cards maybe get a refund.

In short on all the sites I deal with they would loose out if they switched method.

When at home we might not use blasts of heat even in this current weather but the point of constantly saying you use more in a tent baffles me. At home over a two week period we will have the oven and/or rings on probably daily (massive power consumer), the microwave (on less), lights when dark, televisions (plural as with two children in the house we often have two on), perhaps games consoles, the computer I am sat at, the washing machine, the hot water which requirews an electric pump for the boiler, maybe a dvd player and the list goes on. Not one of those is used when I am camping.

Phew what a lot to get through in one go!

Ok, we are just back from 4 nights away & the EHU was available on a pre-paid card, so we bought £2 worth.

We used a kettle, toaster, lap top & fan heater (on for approx 30 - 45 mins on an evening)...it worked out that we used 50p a day!

Now had we been staying at a site where the normal flat rate charges apply, we would have been paying at least £3 a day & no, we still would use out appliances exactly as we have done this time.

IMO meters are the way to go...for caravans as well as tents.  Pay for what YOU use.  Simple!

Quote: Originally posted by elanman on 13/7/2012

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I think there is a problem reselling as you also need to charge tax.

Some will obvously use min electricty in a tent but some will also perhaps use more than at home as threads like this, are all to common. I guess if there were meters those running 2KW heaters overnight would get quite a big bill  by the end of a week. I dont think people realise that one 2KW heater is the same consumtion as 10 34" LCD TV's.

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Quote: Originally posted by russandjax on 13/7/2012

Phew what a lot to get through in one go!

Ok, we are just back from 4 nights away & the EHU was available on a pre-paid card, so we bought £2 worth.

We used a kettle, toaster, lap top & fan heater (on for approx 30 - 45 mins on an evening)...it worked out that we used 50p a day!

Now had we been staying at a site where the normal flat rate charges apply, we would have been paying at least £3 a day & no, we still would use out appliances exactly as we have done this time.

IMO meters are the way to go...for caravans as well as tents.  Pay for what YOU use.  Simple!