just rang a few parks in and around Gladstone to book in. Got told by one of them the site is per night plus site has their own electricity meter and you pay for that on top of daily rate. They wonder why people free camp. I am quite happy to pay a reasonable amount but this is only going to make me free camp also. have a friend who has a farm nearby so no problem for me. Has anyone else found they have to pay for electricity?
It seems to me to be a much fairer way of charging, you pay for what you use, the difference in charges for a powered site and a non powered site seem to be in most cases at least $5 and it would in most cases be impossible to use that much power overnight.
Cheers
David
It is the massive hikes these so called power companies are imposing on everyone. Obviously it has got to the stage of a metered calculation for powered sites (user pays). Power parasites a having a field day with the poor consumer.
It seems to me to be a much fairer way of charging, you pay for what you use, the difference in charges for a powered site and a non powered site seem to be in most cases at least $5 and it would in most cases be impossible to use that much power overnight. Cheers David
Hi, Do you really think so? I have never been on a metered site and never heard of it before.
As yet I haven't had the choice of a metered site but they are around and will probably become more prevalent and have recently read about a low priced park where power is from a coin in the slot machine at $2 for 3 hours I think it was in the Riverina but cannot remember the town.
Cheers
David
As yet I haven't had the choice of a metered site but they are around and will probably become more prevalent and have recently read about a low priced park where power is from a coin in the slot machine at $2 for 3 hours I think it was in the Riverina but cannot remember the town. Cheers David
HI, that's interesting. Is anyone allowed to charge more for the electricity than they pay for it? and if they do charge, I wonder how the $2 works if say you are using an air con. or heate or only a fridge.
I was looking at YouTube movies of RV camping in USA and a lady living full time in a camper mentioned in her film I recall she was showing her living expenses budget
that she had a separate electrical account above site fees.
Maybe, if it's done the right way, it could work here too. Would give us the choice of using none at all or as much as we can afford.
I'm day dreaming aren't I... as if out CP's would be so friendly.
I was looking at YouTube movies of RV camping in USA and a lady living full time in a camper mentioned in her film I recall she was showing her living expenses budget that she had a separate electrical account above site fees.
Maybe, if it's done the right way, it could work here too. Would give us the choice of using none at all or as much as we can afford.
I'm day dreaming aren't I... as if out CP's would be so friendly.
Would agree entirely about paying for electricity with my own meter.
Some of the mobile apartments disguised as caravans have washing machines, heaters, dryers and anything else they can fit in, so why should the rest of us be penalized?
It's fair if done properly, my son is currently living in a park at Newcastle. He has a seperate electricity meter, last month his bill was $40 & a few cents so less then a $1.50 a day. This is with own washing machine, hot water system etc in the cabin.
Certainly cheaper then the average $5 a night difference between powered & non powered sites.
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Woolly,
Already live in Paradise but would like to see much more of this great country.
It's fair if done properly, my son is currently living in a park at Newcastle. He has a seperate electricity meter, last month his bill was $40 & a few cents so less then a $1.50 a day. This is with own washing machine, hot water system etc in the cabin. Certainly cheaper then the average $5 a night difference between powered & non powered sites.
Agree and nice to see a factual account too,,, thanks Woolly
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Why is it so? Professor Julius Sumner Miller, a profound influence on my life, who explained science to us on TV in the 60's.
How many times you see that people turn the aircon on of the caravan and they sit outside the whole day
no wander they want to charge every site independently
I think it's only fair to do it that way
A friend of ours bought his own c/park a few yrs back & when he got the first power bill for the park he was in shock.
Turns out that the permanant residents were running their electric stoves all night for heating, fixed that by installing meters.
By Law he was not allowed to charge more than the power was charging.
JC.
I heard of a park owner's horrendous bills who commented that people pulled in for one night, filled all their water tanks, dumped their toilets, did their washing, charged their batteries and took long showers. Water can be very expensive and in short supply in outback areas and some take 100s of litres.
I think $30 and more is an awful lot for a patch of grass for a night but we all pay for those who overdo it unfortunately.
A friend of ours bought his own c/park a few yrs back & when he got the first power bill for the park he was in shock.
Turns out that the permanant residents were running their electric stoves all night for heating, fixed that by installing meters.
By Law he was not allowed to charge more than the power was charging.
JC.
Yes and I reckon he would be way in front even after paying for the meters. In our village i's the power companies who come around and read the meters. If the meters are installed in the park when the park is being established then a little extra cost can be built into the tariffs. Your mate will get a little of the install price of the meters back when he sets the tariffs for new customers.
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PeterD Nissan Navara D23 diesel auto, Spaceland pop-top Retired radio and electronics technician. NSW Central Coast.
I was looking at YouTube movies of RV camping in USA and a lady living full time in a camper mentioned in her film I recall she was showing her living expenses budget that she had a separate electrical account above site fees.
This is the way it's done in some residential parks over here too.
Forty years ago meters were quite common in tourist parks. When I came back to vanning nearly 25 years ago there were still some parks around with metered power. These were parks that had a lot of permanents in them. Sometimes I would be given a site that was set up for permanents. Some of the meters were the type you put prepaid slugs into. If you occupied the site as a tourist the manager would feed the meter with slugs for you and just charge you a powered site tariff or would simply bypass the meter.
I think metered sites beats those parks that charge extra if you have air conditioners or washing machines.
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PeterD Nissan Navara D23 diesel auto, Spaceland pop-top Retired radio and electronics technician. NSW Central Coast.
Kadina in SA has some sites with meters. we stayed for awhile and it worked out not mush cheaper. The power component was about $20 - $25 per week in summer with aircon going most of time. Dont know what charge rate was but seemed a little steep as we have gas cooking.
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Opinions are a persons way of thinking, you dont have to agree with it but respect it
hi wat about the ones who don't have all the bling in there van/camper etc to me it could be a grab for cash. if u r in a tent u just want a place to sleep and a light/fridge maybe. just my thoughts enjoy travels
It's fair if done properly, my son is currently living in a park at Newcastle. He has a seperate electricity meter, last month his bill was $40 & a few cents so less then a $1.50 a day. This is with own washing machine, hot water system etc in the cabin. Certainly cheaper then the average $5 a night difference between powered & non powered sites.
I did a costing on this a year or so ago, based on Tasmanian power charges. With my MH plugged into power (I'm a free camper by the way) running an aircon, 1 light I have on 240 volts, a microwave which one would use no more than 20 minutes in a 24 hour day, and battery charger, all running 24 hours except the Microwave, the cost was just under $2.00. Now I realize electricity costs in other States could be higher, so allow another 50 cents to a Dollar, and you are looking at $2.50 to $3.00 absolute max. I know of some caravan parks I've checked out online when I'm planing a trip, have a difference of between $5.00 and $20.00 between an unpowered and powered site. The most expensive was on the Gold Coast, Qld.
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Retired Airline Pilot and Electrician..
I'm not old, I've just been young a long time....Ken
Since light travels faster than sound, some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
I was staying at Ballina Gardens Van Park last year. Left and upon return found the park owner had kept the same site fees (Which included power) but decided to add meter box plus power to the site. As I had no option at the time took the site. After a couple of months power and Gas cost me an average of an extra $25 per week. I was not happy and subsequently have not returned to that park.
I was told to claim a subsidy from the electricity company. (This amounted to$250 per year !!)
we were in w.a for some time. about 2008 I think, we were charged separately for electricity.
good idea but couldn't help noting the number of people in non-powered sites used their electric kettle in the ablution block, charged up the phone and laptop. I could go on.
A lot of people here are older than me and I remember 20/30 years ago lots of caravan parks had coin in the slot power, That would work for me.
The park we managed had to put meters in ($50 each plus install). Both reasons for this have been mentioned already; permanents running oven all night or cheap nasty heaters 24/7
plus the mobile hotel suites using as much power as they possibly can. Someone has to pay and it will not be the caravan park owner.
I notice also people complain about sites costing $30 a night. Not long ago $25 was acceptable...... Lets face it the cost of living is going up.
A friend of ours bought his own c/park a few yrs back & when he got the first power bill for the park he was in shock.
Turns out that the permanant residents were running their electric stoves all night for heating, fixed that by installing meters.
By Law he was not allowed to charge more than the power was charging.
JC.
I heard of a park owner's horrendous bills who commented that people pulled in for one night, filled all their water tanks, dumped their toilets, did their washing, charged their batteries and took long showers. Water can be very expensive and in short supply in outback areas and some take 100s of litres.
I think $30 and more is an awful lot for a patch of grass for a night but we all pay for those who overdo it unfortunately.
Re overnight costs
Wendy and I looked at buying a caravan pk about 4 years ago it was in a great area with an average tenancy of 80% per year.
The park had 53 powered sites with concrete pads, 25 grassed sites with power, 35 tent sites,and 9 cabins,
the asking price was $1,050,000.00.
at the time the powered site with pad were $32 per night for a couple
powered grass sites were $28 per night
tent sites $12 per night
cabins $78 per night.
all rates included 2 kids with a $3pp charge for after that.
At the yearly average 80%
the income was
$2814 per day from sites
the average income from the shop was $1270 net pw
washing and dryer machines $850 pw
income per annum
sites $1,027,110
shop $66,040
dryer $44,200
Total $1,137,350 pa gross
a brief breakdown of costs to nearest $100
Insurance $73,500
Laundering $15,000
Electricity $65,900
Groundsman $56,000
cleaners x2 casual $63,200
Repair and maintenance $173,600
Water $119,300
Rates all $268,400
Basic costs $834,900
Gross profit $302,450
out of that there is tax and future improvement and repayment if you have to borrow the money or a big part of it
We were going to put up half and borrow the rest there was not enough in it to go down that path
These are just round figures there was a lot more involved.
If you can buy a park out rite there is a good living but it is hard work.
For what you get I think that parks are not to bad, some are pricing themselves out of the market by being greedy, but they will get the message when people stop going to there parks.
You get to meet nice people you get a level of security(mostly). a shop in most cases you can wash 9kgs at a time instead of 1kg ect.
Also they cannot by law charge you more than it costs them for power.
Just my thoughts
Cheers
The Hats
-- Edited by The Hats on Monday 23rd of June 2014 10:22:46 PM
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ect.
