Electricity Bill

[poolielad]

How much is yours for the season???

Just got ours, £165 pound, that includes £15 admin charge.....


Ours is open 10 months of the year, we dont go every weekend due to my work, we were there for about half of each school holidays....

What do you pay, and does mine sound excessive??

[The Simpson's]

£77 from June to June. No admin charge. We go most week ends in the Winter and every other week end in the Summer plus full weeks in the Summer as well. Open 10 months. Thought it was quite reasonable

[DORRIAN]

Dont really know how much our bill is as its included in the ground rent, hence the reason why we use the electric heaters more than the gas fire

Dorrian:D:D

[poolielad]

£77 from June to June. No admin charge. We go most week ends in the Winter and every other week end in the Summer plus full weeks in the Summer as well. Open 10 months. Thought it was quite reasonable


What sites that, who owns it??

[The Simpson's]

What sites that, who owns it??

It's The Willows at Withernsea owned by Highfield Caravans - they have a website I believe.

[EL TEL]

Hi That Does Sound Excessive Ours Was £87 And That Was For Piped Gas And Electric But Again We Dont Use Ours All The Time And Ours Is Open Nine Months Of The Year Their Dosent Seem To Be Any Standard Charge They Just Seem To Charge What They Like
El Tel

[fontaine]

hi
i feel that is excessive i think yu are being ripped off considering your use
they are not allowed to charge more than domestic house tarrif
i rent my van out constantly for 8 months of the year and during the other 2 and a half months we use it every weekend and our bill is around the £110 mark for the whole year
if i were you i would look into this

[poolielad]

But, how could I prove it was wrong??

[fontaine]

it is hard to prove
i would print this page off and take it to them to see what they say, also ask for a breakdown of how much each unit of elec costs and also ask your neighbours on site how much their bills are

[arronbrook]

The mailman just brought our invoice so if anyone wants to compare here is how its set out

Seasonal rent 1 Mar - 30 Nov £1340.00 + £234.50 Vat
Rates 170.56
Electric standing charge 25.00
Metered electricity
52 units @ 0.09 4.68 .82 vat
Total payable £1775.56
Needless to say I think its fantastic, we had budgeted for £2k to cover this bill so anything less is a bonus.
The electric is so low because basically we only used the heaters and dehumidifier for the last couple of visits in October/November even so its a lot less than I anticipated as we did have them on quite a bit.

[Tiamaria589]

The mailman just brought our invoice so if anyone wants to compare here is how its set out

Seasonal rent 1 Mar - 30 Nov £1340.00 + £234.50 Vat
Rates 170.56
Electric standing charge 25.00
Metered electricity
52 units @ 0.09 4.68 .82 vat
Total payable £1775.56
Needless to say I think its fantastic, we had budgeted for £2k to cover this bill so anything less is a bonus.
The electric is so low because basically we only used the heaters and dehumidifier for the last couple of visits in October/November even so its a lot less than I anticipated as we did have them on quite a bit.

you are so lucky, that is very reasonable, your rent is so low, what is your site like?

[arronbrook]

Hardly dare say this Tia as I would hate anything to change but I feel we are very lucky its a council run site and its well kept as far as being clean & tidy, its got a good club with fantastic turns on through the season and a great menu, although I think thats privately run, it has a small amusement archade and play ground ( not near our van :) ) Its minutes from miles of sand and backs onto a golf course. We feel blessed to have found it as its everything we ever wanted.

[Tiamaria589]

it sounds lovely, i love my site and the people who run it are lovely but there are a couple of things that i would change if i did it again.... one would be do more homework, our site fees seemed cheap because we had previously looked round Haven sites and some of them were quite dear so when we came to this site ( nearing the end of a very busy day) we were just grateful to see something we liked and cheaper than Haven!!

When we go back in the springtime it will make more sense to us as we bought in September.... looking forward to seeing and being on the site in Springtime and Summer time...

We have a huge clubhouse whcih has some brilliant acts on, Bingo that plays for a lot of money, an amusement arcade, hair salon, and a lovelt cafe that does home-made food ( not mass produced rubbish)

The site itself isnt really very scenic though, which is a shame..

MORE HOMEWORK WAS NEEDED.............

[NACO]

In most cases unit prices range from 9-13p. In recent years the price of all energy has risen dramatically and ideally you park operator would be provide information about how your unit price has been arrived at.

Establishing how much your park pays for their electricity supply can be very difficult.

From the 1st January 2003 the maximum price at which gas or electricity can be resold must be the same price as that paid by the person who is reselling it, including any standing charges.

In a leaflet distributed by energywatch it covers the area of charges:
"Disputes. - You should ask your landlord to explain to you the basis of the charges he has made. If you feel you have been over-charged you should take it up with the landlord in the first instance. If the dispute cannot be resolved informally it may be necessary to claim through the legal process for the overcharge plus Interest. Your local Citizens Advise Bureau can advise you."

The idea is that you should be able to go to your operator and ask how they have arrived at the unit charge. The operator then shows you haw they have arrived at the charge.

In the real world, this often isn't as straight forward as the above. And a small claim is not really the best way of keeping your operator 'on-side' for future years.

[indianwells]

In most cases unit prices range from 9-13p. In recent years the price of all energy has risen dramatically and ideally you park operator would be provide information about how your unit price has been arrived at.

Establishing how much your park pays for their electricity supply can be very difficult.

From the 1st January 2003 the maximum price at which gas or electricity can be resold must be the same price as that paid by the person who is reselling it, including any standing charges.
In a leaflet distributed by energywatch it covers the area of charges:
"Disputes. - You should ask your landlord to explain to you the basis of the charges he has made. If you feel you have been over-charged you should take it up with the landlord in the first instance. If the dispute cannot be resolved informally it may be necessary to claim through the legal process for the overcharge plus Interest. Your local Citizens Advise Bureau can advise you."

The idea is that you should be able to go to your operator and ask how they have arrived at the unit charge. The operator then shows you haw they have arrived at the charge.

In the real world, this often isn't as straight forward as the above. And a small claim is not really the best way of keeping your operator 'on-side' for future years.

As I understand it this only applies to metered estates though. So if, like a lot of small parks you don't have an individual meter for each van the park owner can still estimate.
Which of course makes a mockery of the legislation in the first place.
Parks should have been forced to provide individual meters as part of the legislation when it was introduced because those parks that were ripping people off can, and will, continue to do so.

[NACO]

The above does still apply to parks without metered supplies, the park operator is still supposed to show the caravan owner how he has arrived at the charges regardless of how the billing is done (metered or unmetered).

There are a couple of pdfs on the Ofgem website that give further information:

http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Pages/MoreInformation.aspx?docid=1&refer=Consumers
http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Consumers/Pages/Resaleofgasandelectricity.aspx

However, as I've already said the operator can just say "no". The suggestion of a small claim over the matter seems a bit ridiculous.

There are a number of other things that caravan owners can do to help. Contact Consumer Focus (http://www.consumerfocus.org.uk/get-advice/energy) or maybe even your MP.

If you need any further, more specific guidance feel free to inbox me.

[springhay]

Wow - something Haven owners benefit from then? Elec is only around 6p a unit. there again therre is a standing charge of £70. If this is what they are charged by the elec. company I think it should be highlighted - many people think this is imposed by Haven, which it appears, my not be the case....

[CliveT]

Hi Springhay, what is the standing charge for? and do you also have this for gas.

[springhay]

Hi Springhay, what is the standing charge for? and do you also have this for gas.

Well I think its what Haven call the availability charge....but tbh, I dont even know what the standing charge is for which people pay on their domesitc bills. Making it available and all the pipework, maintaining it perhaps???

[paulw]

We got our bill yesterday, i nearly died of heart attack at £220, our previous bill was £79 !

[Teakbank12]

Availability charge allows the site to cover it's costs in transporting the fuel (gas/electric) to your van.
It is not cheap to put in an electric network nor a gas pipe network & of course it needs maintaining.
The actual unit price is very cheap when looking at domestic home bills & they still charge a standing charge, similar to water companies.

[springhay]

We got our bill yesterday, i nearly died of heart attack at £220, our previous bill was £79 !

Not for the same time period surely? What did you do differently? Have you checked the readings blah blah blah ??

[springhay]

Availability charge allows the site to cover it's costs in transporting the fuel (gas/electric) to your van.
It is not cheap to put in an electric network nor a gas pipe network & of course it needs maintaining.
The actual unit price is very cheap when looking at domestic home bills & they still charge a standing charge, similar to water companies.

Yes that's basically what I put in my post. But I am going to ask if they could let me at least have a new metre - mine is a closed box and looks as though its been under the sea for ten years!

[paulw]

Not for the same time period surely? What did you do differently? Have you checked the readings blah blah blah ??

Yes same time period etc but earlier this year we had that really cold spell so the electric heaters were on quite a lot, didnt think it would have bumped it up that much though, the only difference is that this year the site owner changed all the meters and put new ones in, am thinking that either the old one was under reading or the new one is faulty or frigged ?

[CliveT]

Availability charge allows the site to cover it's costs in transporting the fuel (gas/electric) to your van.
It is not cheap to put in an electric network nor a gas pipe network & of course it needs maintaining.
The actual unit price is very cheap when looking at domestic home bills & they still charge a standing charge, similar to water companies.

We dont have any standing charge and g/e are roughly the same /unit but our G & E for full year £550 but we do leave c/h on clock during shut down.

[springhay]

We dont have any standing charge and g/e are roughly the same /unit but our G & E for full year £550 but we do leave c/h on clock during shut down.

Oh no not another idea for me to mull over?!! So I assume this cuts down on the possibility of damp and mould then?? But this means your boiler would have to stay on doesnt it? My brain hurts. Speaking of boilers - I thought that they only heated the water as it ran through the taps - not a tank exactly......So the anti freeze also confuses me? Having said that, at the moment I'm watching a Corrie quiz, on Argos ordering toys, on facebook now and again, and texting -- maybe I should go for a lie down!!

[Maddy]

The central heating is a sealed circuit. The tapwater is different.

[Tiamaria589]

Oh no not another idea for me to mull over?!! So I assume this cuts down on the possibility of damp and mould then?? But this means your boiler would have to stay on doesnt it? My brain hurts. Speaking of boilers - I thought that they only heated the water as it ran through the taps - not a tank exactly......So the anti freeze also confuses me? Having said that, at the moment I'm watching a Corrie quiz, on Argos ordering toys, on facebook now and again, and texting -- maybe I should go for a lie down!!

ditto here!! watching strictly, texting too so having to keep pausing the telly, as well as chatting to daughter to see how her day was in work today... as well as trying to sort outfit out for tomorrow ......

[springhay]

ditto here!! watching strictly, texting too so having to keep pausing the telly, as well as chatting to daughter to see how her day was in work today... as well as trying to sort outfit out for tomorrow ......

Dont even get me started on daughters !!!!! (Well, mine anyway!)

[G4Shallow]

Sorry to bring up an old thread. Last year was our first year of owning a static caravan, took us ages to find one and a site we liked (peaceful and safe for kids). Speaking to a couple of caravan owners they were saying that electricity would cost at least a couple of hundred pounds.

I insisted with family that we were careful on heater usage during the first year so we at least had an idea on how much a season would cost us. Well, our invoice came and it was a very surprising £67. So it means we can use the heaters more often as there is definitely room in our budget. Though will need to keep an eye on things still so it doesn't get out of hand lol

Can't wait until 1st March when the site reopens (apparently owners turns the water on when he thinks it mild enough to so it could open later than 1st). Site fees are sitting burning a hole in our bank account so must get the cheque sent off lol

[Tiamaria589]

Sorry to bring up an old thread. Last year was our first year of owning a static caravan, took us ages to find one and a site we liked (peaceful and safe for kids). Speaking to a couple of caravan owners they were saying that electricity would cost at least a couple of hundred pounds.

I insisted with family that we were careful on heater usage during the first year so we at least had an idea on how much a season would cost us. Well, our invoice came and it was a very surprising £67. So it means we can use the heaters more often as there is definitely room in our budget. Though will need to keep an eye on things still so it doesn't get out of hand lol

Can't wait until 1st March when the site reopens (apparently owners turns the water on when he thinks it mild enough to so it could open later than 1st). Site fees are sitting burning a hole in our bank account so must get the cheque sent off lol

dont worry about bringing up an old thread, it is always nice to be reminded of stuff...

electric?? well i suppose you could say it all depends on how often you use your van.... if you only use it for weekends then i should imagine your bills will be quite low.... but if you use it for weeks on end then they will be slighly higher...
we bought our van in september, used it for most weekends till beg of November,, and didnt get a bill... it was too small i think and so they will add it to my next one....
as for site fees.... i always get ahead of the game and i have opened a 'caravan account'- i put money in here weekly and i never touch it...so when my fees are due ( november and we get a discount for paying early) i pay it and start saving all over again....

[G4Shallow]

Yeah we use it most weekends and a couple of weeks through the summer. We also have an account where we transfer funds out of our main account. Best way :)

[emmell]

[QUOTE=arronbrook;7481]Hardly dare say this Tia as I would hate anything to change but I feel we are very lucky its a council run site and its well kept as far as being clean & tidy, its got a good club with fantastic turns on through the season and a great menu, although I think thats privately run, it has a small amusement archade and play ground ( not near our van :) ) Its minutes from miles of sand and backs onto a golf course. We feel blessed to have found it as its everything we ever wanted.

I think you must be on the same site as us.
ML.

[Tiamaria589]

[QUOTE=arronbrook;7481]Hardly dare say this Tia as I would hate anything to change but I feel we are very lucky its a council run site and its well kept as far as being clean & tidy, its got a good club with fantastic turns on through the season and a great menu, although I think thats privately run, it has a small amusement archade and play ground ( not near our van :) ) Its minutes from miles of sand and backs onto a golf course. We feel blessed to have found it as its everything we ever wanted.

I think you must be on the same site as us.
ML.

was that meant for me?
the bit about being on the same site?
we haven't got sand near us nor a golf course, although there is a hotel coming soon with a golf course....

[arronbrook]

[QUOTE=emmell;13270]

was that meant for me?
the bit about being on the same site?
we haven't got sand near us nor a golf course, although there is a hotel coming soon with a golf course....

No I think its me, I was thinking the same :)

[Tiamaria589]

[QUOTE=Tiamaria589;13273]

No I think its me, I was thinking the same :)

i think ML got a couple of posts mixed up..:p

[emmell]

I didn't get the posts mixed up, I was quoting Arronbrook.
I think I am on the same site as Arronbrook, council run, near the beach, near the golf course, club (Makis), amusements, play area, similar ground rents, too much of a coincidence that their would be two council run sites with the same facilities next to a beach and a golf course. But if Arronbrooks site isn't within walking distance to Bridlington then I have presumed wrong
ML.

[Tiamaria589]

you could be neighbours and not even know it..
:)

[arronbrook]

I didn't get the posts mixed up, I was quoting Arronbrook.
I think I am on the same site as Arronbrook, council run, near the beach, near the golf course, club (Makis), amusements, play area, similar ground rents, too much of a coincidence that their would be two council run sites with the same facilities next to a beach and a golf course. But if Arronbrooks site isn't within walking distance to Bridlington then I have presumed wrong
ML.

That's blown my cover :D

[emmell]

Didn't take much to blow your cover, your description was too thorough. I know we're not neighbours though, cos I know all my neighbours.
ML.

[TreeTops]

I would have thought it would make more sense to look at the unit used andthe unit cost, at least where you have a meter.

We've got really good rates from our suppliers, about 8.5p per unit.

LPG is expensive, ut by teaming up with other parks we got a deal nag just about help off price rises last year. I suspect the coming season it will have to go up.

A

[Toky]

My issue is not with cost 0.12 per unit, but with the "daily availability charge" (new terminology from new owners). The park closes on 30th Nov until 1st March the following year, yet I pay a daily availability charge (0.15) throughout this period, despite not being allowed to stay in the van. Is this legal?

[Teakbank12]

The availability charge covers the cost of transporting your piped gas or electric to each van annually ie it costs many £1000's to put the network in & maintain it.
Likewise you pay a pitch fee annually, you cannot say it's just from March to November!!

[Toky]

But tecnically, I am paying for something I can't use????????????

[indianwells]

But tecnically, I am paying for something I can't use????????????

Are you not allowed to leave your electric on in the closed season then?

[Maddy]

But Toky they take the cost per year of supplying the electric and divide it between the number of units so the total is the same whether they then divide it over the season or the whole year. Bit like paying your rates monthly or in a lump sum comes to the same figure.

[C@lm-Se@s]

Our bill last year was for £80 odd we let it out most of the year spend every weekend there and the odd week when it isnt let out, the tariff is cheaper than our domestic tariff at home we also have the option of just paying £100 a year I am happy with :)

[jules66]

We have to pay for the rental of our electric meter, £125 I think, then buy cards for it, spent around £50 pounds last year and we use van most weekends.

[southwest]

H- we pay 20 pence per unit; site owner insists this is what he is charged and he is complying with Electricity resale regulations. Does anyone else pay this much per unit?