Electricity charges in a marina

[Guest]

A third party is not allowed to profit from the sale of electricity; only power companies are allowed to do that. He/she is, though, allowed to charge a separate "maintenance" charge each year. You are quite within your rights to ask the owner to demonstrate that what he/she states, about the price they pay per KWh, is correct.

 

Chris

All perfectly true. The one time Electricity Board for whom I worked used to police the situation, and successfully prosecute landlords etc. who were running scams (the fines were minimal though and they soon returned to their thieving ways-it was probably more profitable to run the scam and pay a fine occasionally). I doubt if anybody is policing the situation in these days of privatisation, so I imagine it is up to the individual to prosecute?

[chris w]

All perfectly true. The one time Electricity Board for whom I worked used to police the situation, and successfully prosecute landlords etc. who were running scams (the fines were minimal though and they soon returned to their thieving ways-it was probably more profitable to run the scam and pay a fine occasionally). I doubt if anybody is policing the situation in these days of privatisation, so I imagine it is up to the individual to prosecute?

I assume it's a civil not a criminal offence for breaking the rule? If so, then no-one can be prosecuted, one would have to take out proceedings against them in the civil courts. It would be interesting to learn if it is indeed a criminal offence as then the boys-in-blue can get involved.

 

Chris.

[MikeV]

At our marina the electricity is charged at 13p per KWh. Payment is by £10.00 swipe cards.

 

There are some buttons on the meter which allow you to look at the configuration. It seems as though there are two charging bands, presumably for peak and off-peak, but both are set to 13.00p.

[Guest]

I assume it's a civil not a criminal offence for breaking the rule? If so, then no-one can be prosecuted, one would have to take out proceedings against them in the civil courts. It would be interesting to learn if it is indeed a criminal offence as then the boys-in-blue can get involved.

 

Chris.

Interesting point,not 100% sure. Its fifteen years since I quit, but I have a feeling it was a criminal offence like stealing electricity from the supplier. I will try and check that out, as my brother in law will know. I do know that some ended up in court, but I think they were token gestures. Certainly many landlords were scamming it around this area for years and never got touched. It is an age old problem I'm afraid, caravan sites often being amongst the worst offenders.

[GrahamB]

The resale of Gas and Electricity is covered by OFGEM regulations that became effective on 1st January 2003 and which were updated on 14th October 2005.

 

There is also a decision document covering maximum resale price provision deliberations and arguments dated January 2002. The YHA and BMF were represented in these discussions. On page 19 of this decision document it confirms that Marinas are controlled by the regulation.

 

Where there is a metered supply the 'reseller (Marina) may only charge the unit price that they pay and the reseller HAS to show proof of the charge if asked (copy of their bill). If the supply is unmetered then the reseller has to deduct the amount of electricity used in common areas, showers, general lighting, it's own offices, workshops etc and then proportion the ACTUAL cost amongst the 'tennant's' (the Marina Berth Holders). The reseller is permitted to charge an 'admin' fee but again this fee has to be shown to justified and the resellers calculations of this charge must be available for scruitiny.

 

Basically the regulations say that provision of electricity in Marina's is not to be a profit opportunity. Any other method of charging breaches OFGEM regulations and opens the reseller up to small claims court action AND a claim for interest at the rate of 2 x the Barclays Bank base rate at the time of the resellers transgession!

 

If the Marina tries to kick you off because you challenge it's charges then this is unfair practice and as Marina Developments in Dorset found out it is covered by Trading Standards! Good Luck All - please keep this 'Blog' up to date on your experiences - I am at this moment having the same argument in Devon after being charged £3 to £5 per month for many months when the Marina supplied a meter but when, miraculously, the in line meter disappeared (my power lead was however re plugged in!) my monthly charge became £62.00 without explaination or financial breakdown! G.

[Ex- Member]

23.5p per Kwh

 

At that price I would cover the roof in Solar panels and pay him sod all

[Nightwatch]

What is the up to date resale charge of electricity in a Marina.

 

We have a card that we top up as and when. £25 gets us 50 units. So 50p a unit. I will ask what that is in kWh. I guess prices have escalated a great deal in the past month or so.

 

The £25 would probably last us a fortnight if we’re lucky.

 

 

[mrsmelly]

5 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

What is the up to date resale charge of electricity in a Marina.

 

We have a card that we top up as and when. £25 gets us 50 units. So 50p a unit. I will ask what that is in kWh. I guess prices have escalated a great deal in the past month or so.

 

The £25 would probably last us a fortnight if we’re lucky.

 

 

I think many are different. My friends charges went up december first to 70pence a unit at his marina. I was in my friends pub last night discussing overheads and ways forward, he has just taken it back from his tennant who has been paying £1 a unit 

[Nightwatch]

5 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

I think many are different. My friends charges went up december first to 70pence a unit at his marina. I was in my friends pub last night discussing overheads and ways forward, he has just taken it back from his tennant who has been paying £1 a unit 

It all depends, I guess, what a unit represents.

[Alan de Enfield]

 

Our marina has just increased its rate from 20p/ unit to 28p/unit.

 

 

Just now, Nightwatch said:

It all depends, I guess, what a unit represents.

 

 

Surely, a unit is a fixed amount (in electrical terms) of 1kWh

Edited December 7, 2022 by Alan de Enfield

[mrsmelly]

1 minute ago, Nightwatch said:

It all depends, I guess, what a unit represents.

1 kwh innitt?

[davidg]

4 hours ago, mrsmelly said:

1 kwh innitt?

Nope. Consider the difference between “My solar panels are generating 1 mWh each day” and “My solar panels are generating 1MWh each day”

Case matters😊

[mrsmelly]

1 minute ago, davidg said:

Nope. Consider the difference between “My solar panels are generating 1 mWh each day” and “My solar panels are generating 1MWh each day”

Case matters😊

The difference is how much of a pedant you are 😉

[magnetman]

Not a marina but my CRT owned residential mooring has a current electric rate of 26p a unit including standing charge. This was fixed about 6 months ago for two years. At the time it seemed quite expensive but it seems things have changed somewhat.

 

A unit of electricity is well known to be one kilowatt-hour. It is standard. The good thing about using kilowatts is the voltage makes no difference so there is less confusion available.

 

I'd love to see a boat based solar array generating one MWh per day !

 

Is it somewhere just off Monaco?

 

Or Sint Maarten?

 

 

 

Edited December 7, 2022 by magnetman

[rusty69]

7 minutes ago, mrsmelly said:

The difference is how much of a pedant you are 😉

I want the same panels as wot hes got. 1Mwh/day. Wow.

[magnetman]

MWh. In this case case matters.

 

in the case of kWh it doesn't because k only means kilo.

 

Unless you are talking about Killerwatts of course. They are very dangerous and come out of solar panels once you get up to more than a 4s array.

[rusty69]

Ive never heard of panels that produce milliwatts anyway. Perhaps they are fitted to dolls houses.

[sigsegv]

3 minutes ago, rusty69 said:

Ive never heard of panels that produce milliwatts anyway. Perhaps they are fitted to dolls houses.

My solars this time of year 😭

[David Mack]

Epic thread revival!

[magnetman]

Funny to see Chris w and Gibbo on there!

 

I miss them sometimes. I wonder how Chris' monkey puzzle trees are doing. Have they increased in value like property or do they get more awkward to dig up as they age.

[twbm]

2 hours ago, David Mack said:

Epic thread revival!

 

 

I'm glad you pointed this out - I was about to go on a rant about how bloody cheap even the 'expensive' prices quoted are.  Commercial rates have been quoted as high as 97p a unit recently.    

[Chris John]

45p per Kw/hr at my marina 

[Alan de Enfield]

2 hours ago, twbm said:

 

 

I'm glad you pointed this out - I was about to go on a rant about how bloody cheap even the 'expensive' prices quoted are.  Commercial rates have been quoted as high as 97p a unit recently.    

 

 

28p is a October 2022 (to be held for a minimum of 12 months) price.

[Feeby100]

20 p per where I am

[MtB]

2 hours ago, Chris John said:

45p per Kw/hr at my marina 

 

Oh please, get the units right.