Due to unprecedented increases in the cost of electricity over the last 2 years the cost to us of providing electricity from 1st October 2022 can now exceed £19 per night with our 10A units & £31 per night for sites providing a 16A supply 

 

Historically our average annual cost of providing electricity to each pitch has been £3.50-£4.00 per night but as we are now open all year & with technology bursting high electricity consuming caravans & motorhomes visiting, many with air con units, the total cost of electricity being consumed on site has increased by 375% in 2 years 

 

Clearly our previous pricing structure was wholly unsustainable, we cannot sell pitches at a loss & immediate action was required to protect our interests in remaining financially secure & avoid closure. 

 

Quite simply, in advance of the further energy cost increase announced from 1st October 2022 we had 3 choices 

 

1) Close from 1st October to c April 2023 when the warmer season is next upon us & electricity consumption is reduced 

2) Increase our pitch prices by a minimum £10.50 per night  

3) REDUCE our 2022 prices by £3.50-£4.00 per night & meter/charge electricity separately at cost by installing a new Smart Meter/Card system. We believe this option will ultimately result in an overall reduced consumption reducing our carbon footprint helping to save the planet 

 

Each of the options comes at a cost of course: 

 

1) Unfair on customers....we would have to cancel all customer existing bookings from 1st October to April 

2) An unfair cost/levy on those customers who do not use a lot of electric who would in fact be subsidising those who do! 

3) Customers are responsible for their electricity usage & therefore ultimately in control of their holiday cost but the cost of purchasing & installing the Smart Meter system & ancillary items such as new computer, printer, card reader & software is estimated to be > £15,000. 

 

We concluded option 3, the installation of a new Smart Meter system, was the fairest method of managing the unprecedented energy crisis we are all facing & the system is now installed & live 

 

The process of booking/paying electricity is very simple & easy. From 1st October 2022 our prices have been reduced by a minimum of £3.50 per night & if you require EHU our CampManager system now automatically adds an Electricity Deposit (Credit) cost of £4 per night in June, July & August; £6 per night in March, April, May, September & October & £8 per night in November, December, January & February 

 

On arrival customers will receive a unique Smart Card preloaded with electricity credit as above which is simply inserted into the Smart Meter on the pitch which transfers the credit to the EHU unit 

 

If required this can be topped up at any time during Reception hours & crucially ON DEPARTURE ANY UNUSED CREDIT IS REFUNDED - you only pay for what you use. 

 

On arrival all customers are presented with a documented operational procedure  

 

 

 

So it's early days, 9 to be precise, since going live with metered electric & we are delighted to report customers have overwhelmingly been very supportive. It's a learning curve for all of us but already we are witnessing a reduction in electricity consumption which has to be welcomed from all points of view.; our operating costs are lower, most customers are saving money & we are reducing our carbon footprint and saving the planet!  

 

The early positive effects of metering electricity are simply very supportive of metering; a Campervan customer spent £0.72 for their 2 nights stay, receiving a credit of £11.28 from their pro-forma payment of £12; a Caravan customer paying a pro-forma credit of £48 for 8 nights only spent £10.89 receiving a credit of £37.11. In contrast, a Motorhome customer has used 61 kWh in c 36 hours costing £21.96 for their 2 night weekend break 

 

The "average" nightly electricity cost of these 3 customers = £12.72 which, if we had adopted the universal price increase option, would have greatly penalised 2 of 3 customers.  

 

Pay for what you use - a fairer, greener option! 

 

 

GREAT NEWS - Our electricity tariff is reduced from £0.36 kWh to £0.30 kWh