Campground Utility Metering — How to Charge Guests for Electricity and Water¶

Quick answer: Utility metering at campgrounds replaces flat-rate site pricing with consumption-based billing for electricity (and sometimes water). Instead of including hydro in the nightly rate, you read the meter at check-out and charge the guest for actual kilowatt-hours used. For parks with high-consumption guests (heated RVs, air conditioning in summer, electric vehicle charging), metering can increase total site revenue by $15–$40 per stay per high-use guest. Setup requires electric sub-meters per site (typical cost: $100–$300 per site installed) and a booking system that supports meter reading input and billing. PitchCamp supports utility metering natively.

Electricity is often the hidden cost in campground operations. A nightly rate of $60 looks profitable on paper — until you factor in that three sites with full-hookup 50-amp service and high-draw RVs (electric heat, AC, EV charging) consumed $35 worth of hydro per night combined, while three tent sites with no hookups cost essentially nothing in utilities.

Flat-rate pricing subsidises high-consumption guests at the expense of your margins. Utility metering solves this by billing actual consumption.

Why More Campgrounds Are Moving to Metered Utilities¶

Electricity costs are rising. Provincial electricity rates have increased substantially across Canada in the past decade, and RV energy loads have grown alongside them — newer coaches run more appliances, travel with electric bikes that need charging, and are more likely to use electric heat or air conditioning.

EV adoption is increasing the stakes. A guest charging a Class C motorhome's onboard 100-amp-hour battery bank or plugging in an EV tow vehicle can easily consume 30–50 kWh per night. At Ontario industrial rates, that's $4.50–$7.50 per night per site in electricity cost alone — invisible in a flat-rate model.

High-consumption guests cost you money under flat pricing. Under a flat model, your $65/night site rate may be delivering $25 of net revenue after electricity costs for a high-draw RV — and $58 net for a site with a tent and lantern. Metering realigns cost recovery.

How Campground Utility Metering Works¶

Hardware¶

Each metered site requires an electrical sub-meter installed between the park's power feed and the site's service pedestal. Sub-meters record kilowatt-hours consumed per site.

Cost range: $100–$300 per site installed, depending on your electrician's rates and whether the pedestal needs modification. A 50-site full-hookup park metering all sites: $5,000–$15,000 in total installation cost.

Meter types: - Manual read meters: Staff record the opening and closing reading at each guest check-in and check-out. Readings are entered into the system. - Smart meters / AMR: Automated meter reading systems report consumption to a central hub without manual reads. Higher upfront cost ($200–$500+ per site), lower operational labour.

For most campgrounds starting with metering, manual read meters are the practical entry point. The labour cost of a 2-minute meter read at check-in and check-out is modest compared to the recovery on high-consumption stays.

Process Flow¶

At check-in: 1. Staff (or the system, for smart meters) records the opening meter reading for the assigned site 2. The reading is entered into PitchCamp against the guest's reservation

During the stay: The guest uses electricity normally. The meter accumulates their actual consumption.

At check-out: 1. Staff records the closing meter reading 2. PitchCamp calculates consumption: closing reading − opening reading = kWh used 3. Consumption is multiplied by your configured rate per kWh 4. The electricity charge is added to the guest's bill alongside their nightly rate

The rate you charge: Set at or slightly above your actual cost per kWh. Most campgrounds charge $0.18–$0.28/kWh — enough to recover cost and a small margin. Communicating the rate clearly at booking prevents check-out surprises.

What Metering Recovers (The Numbers)¶

Scenario: 50-site full-hookup park, peak summer weekend

Without metering (included in $65/night rate): - Average electricity cost per site per night: $6 - Some sites using $2 (50-amp parked, AC off), some using $15 (full draw) - Net electricity cost across 50 sites × 3 nights: $900 (estimated) - This is a fixed cost you absorb

With metering at $0.22/kWh: - Low-draw sites (10 kWh/night): guests pay $2.20/night — cost recovered - High-draw sites (55 kWh/night): guests pay $12.10/night — cost recovered + margin - Parks typically recover 110–130% of their actual electricity cost through metered billing

The revenue uplift on a $200,000/year campground:

Assuming 40% of stays are metered, average electricity charge of $18 per stay: - 0.40 × (total reservations) × $18 = significant incremental revenue - At 600 reservations: 240 metered stays × $18 = **$4,320 in incremental recovery**

Higher-draw seasons (summer AC, spring/fall heating) produce larger recoveries.

Water Metering: Is It Worth It?¶

Water meters follow the same principle as electric — sub-meters per site, manual or automated reads, consumption billed at checkout.

The case is weaker for most Canadian campgrounds: - Water is cheaper than electricity (typically $0.003–$0.008/litre for municipal water) - Consumption variance between guests is lower than electricity - A high-use RV consuming 400 litres per night costs you ~$1.60–$3.20 in water vs. potentially $15+ in electricity

Most parks that meter start with electricity and add water only if they're in high-cost water regions or experiencing excessive consumption problems (e.g., guests filling tanks, running hoses constantly).

Setting Up Utility Metering in PitchCamp¶

PitchCamp's utility metering feature supports:

Per-site meter assignment
Opening and closing meter readings entered per reservation
Configurable rate per kWh (or per litre for water)
Automatic calculation of consumption charge
Utility charges displayed separately on the guest's billing statement

Configuration is done in the lot settings — assign a meter to each site and set your billing rate. Staff enter readings from the reservation detail page. The system handles the calculation and adds the charge to the reservation.

What to communicate to guests at booking: - That utilities are metered (not included in the nightly rate) - The rate per kWh - An approximate range of what typical stays cost (helps set expectations)

A guest who knows they'll pay ~$15–$25 in electricity on a 3-night stay has no check-out surprise. A guest who arrives expecting all-inclusive and gets a $45 electricity bill at checkout is unhappy — even if the total is still reasonable.

Frequently Asked Questions¶

What is utility metering at a campground?

Utility metering charges campground guests for their actual electricity (and sometimes water) consumption rather than including utilities in the flat nightly rate. A sub-meter at each site records kilowatt-hours used during the stay. At check-out, consumption is calculated and billed at a per-kWh rate. Metering allows campgrounds to recover real electricity costs from high-draw users rather than subsidising them through flat pricing.

How much does it cost to add utility meters to a campground?

Electrical sub-meters cost $100–$300 per site installed, depending on your electrician's rates and existing pedestal configuration. A 50-site full-hookup park is typically $5,000–$15,000 in total installation. Smart meters with automated reading capability cost more upfront ($200–$500+ per site) but reduce the labour of manual reads.

What rate should campgrounds charge for metered electricity?

Most Canadian campgrounds charge $0.18–$0.28/kWh for metered electricity. Set the rate at or slightly above your actual cost per kWh (check your utility bill for the per-kWh rate including delivery charges and taxes). The goal is cost recovery with a modest margin — not a significant profit centre on its own.

Do guests have to pay for electricity at campgrounds in Canada?

It depends on the park. Many campgrounds include electricity in their nightly rate (all-inclusive). An increasing number — particularly larger parks and full-hookup parks serving high-draw RVs — have moved to metered billing to recover actual electricity costs. When a campground meters electricity, they must disclose this clearly at booking. PitchCamp shows utility charges as a seperate line item on guest billing.

Can PitchCamp handle campground utility metering?

Yes. PitchCamp supports utility metering natively — you assign meters to lots, enter opening and closing readings per reservation, and the system calculates and bills consumption automatically at your configured rate per kWh. Water metering is also supported with a per-litre rate configuration.

PitchCamp supports utility metering natively — assign meters to lots, enter readings at check-in and check-out, and the system bills guests automatically at your configured rate.

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