Case Study: Harry Burrows, a keen caravanner from Nottingham, and his wife own a Lunar Clubman 2014 model. They have been members of the Caravan Club for 36 years and frequently stay on CL sites which they like to book when they can through CL Booking.

They stayed on a CL in early March 2023 and decided to change the way they heated the van. The site cost £18 per night, which included £3 in electricity per night. Being conscious of their electricity consumption, they considered how they could reduce their consumption to benefit not only themselves but also the CL owner.

The temperature outside was about 2 degrees Celsius, and it was cold enough to require warm clothing. However, inside the caravan, once it had reached a comfortable temperature, they only needed to wear normal warm jumpers.

Harry and his wife used low-wattage appliances and decided to alter their use of the Alde heating system. They had always used it 24 hours a day, with a day temperature of 20 degrees Celsius and an overnight temperature of 16 degrees Celsius from 22.00 hours to 06.30 hours.

This time, however, things were different. They set the overnight temperature to 15 degrees Celsius and left the daytime temperature at 20 degrees Celsius, but turned off the heating system while they were gone for the day, saving money on hot water switching in and out. They ran the boiler at 1kw, and the most noticeable difference was drawing the curtains when closing the blinds, which made a significant difference. The heating system reached the required temperature faster.

At the end of their stay, Harry and his wife worked out that their daily electricity usage was 6.43 kWh per day which at a rate of 0.35p per unit, worked out at £2.25 per day and was within the allowance of the CL, so there was nothing extra to pay.

Harry’s experience highlights the importance of being aware of electricity usage when staying in a caravan. By making some simple changes to their routine, Harry and his wife were able to save money and use electricity more efficiently.

It is also worth checking if the CL site has given an electricity allowance in the nightly fee as a starter, which can help to manage the cost of electricity usage.