Smart metering trial update

In May 2023 the Club began a phased trial at Wyatts Covert Club Campsite, to introduce electric metering using current Smart Electrical Metering technology whereby members pay for their electricity consumption. Based on member and staff feedback, we are now working on a simplified solution to trial at Wyatts Covert by early 2025.

We did have plans to trial more than one solution, however, our market review and the feedback from the first phase of the trial meant that we decided there was no cost-effective alternative solution, and we are working with our current provider Metermacs to enhance the solution that we have.

What we are trying to achieve: To understand how we can reduce electricity consumption at a site level.

How are we going to do this: By delivering a simple-to-use solution for on-pitch smart metering.

Why are we doing this: We have all been impacted by the cost of electricity in recent years, and, with the increase in electric vehicles and the increasing pressure on our sites' electricity infrastructure, with members and guests using many additional mod-cons, many of our sites are close to capacity.

If we reach capacity this will mean sites will require expensive upgrades, the cost of which would inevitably have to be passed on to members and guests. We believe that we can avoid this if we all work together to be more considerate in our electricity consumption, by not heating our awnings, not adding air conditioning to awnings and using low voltage products in the van.

This coupled with the pressures for everyone to be more sustainable means there will be enough electricity for everyone to use sensibly.

What have we seen so far (May 2023-May 2024) for Wyatts Covert

Smart Metering has driven a 33% average pitch power reduction year-on-year, with an average saving of £2 per pitch night based on a pitch with 2 adults.

There has been a large variation week to week, with the largest weekly reduced total pitch power usage at 73% in December 2023, and the biggest saving was £4.47 a pitch night in January 2024.

The trial has demonstrated that metering has influenced and changed member and guest behaviour to reflect the above power savings, however, we know some members changed their behaviour significantly and were rewarded for this, and others chose to continue at high usage and pay. The important thing to note is that members were not subsiding the usage of others.

Further insight

In January 2023 we extended the trial to Ashridge Farm Club Campsite to obtain comparisons from a different site. The same system was installed there - the site was selected as it’s comparable in terms of size and facilities, and is only 40 miles away from Wyatts Covert and therefore has similar weather patterns.

The system at Ashridge Farm was activated differently than at Wyatts Covert, so it just records pitch power usage without charge, and members were not aware of the meters. This was done as a benchmark to validate how paid-for metering impacts usage levels by guests and members.

Wyatts Covert Club Campsite, Buckinghamshire. Photo by Pat Oliver

What have we seen so far at Ashridge Farm vs Wyatts Covert

Based on analysis between January and May 2024, the average pitch power usage per night is higher at Ashridge Farm where members are not currently having to pay directly for usage.

Ashridge Farm: 18.17 kW per pitch night
Wyatts Covert: 9.99 kW per pitch night

When members and guests are being monitored and paying directly for their electricity usage, this is delivering a 45% pitch night electrical power reduction versus a site where the electricity is included and perceived to be free.

It's still early days, and we will continue to run this analysis across the rest of the year to understand how this behaviour changes in the warmer months of the year.

Next steps… phase 2 rollout

We are currently developing phase 2 of this project, which will build on the success and lessons of 2023/24’s trial at Wyatts Covert.

Some of the key aims are to:

• Refine the front-end user experience making it more intuitive and user-friendly,
• Build one front-end application, that can be used on both smartphones, smart devices and a large touch screen on site,
• Consider expanding the trial to a couple of additional sites in 2025, including Steamer Quay, a site that will have meters installed as part of the major development in 2024.

Look out for more updates on this over the next few months!