Thinking About Metering Your Site’s Energy?
As guest energy usage rises and site operators look to manage costs more carefully, a growing number of holiday parks are rethinking how they handle electricity. Some are turning to smart metering not only to improve efficiency but to avoid yet another price hike for guests.
Over the past year, I spoke to several parks that have adopted one system in particular. Metpow, a wireless metering platform, is gaining ground among UK operators who want more visibility, fairness, and control. What I found was a consistent story of savings, simplicity, and positive feedback.
Real time metering live across the UK.
At Watergate Bay Touring Park in Cornwall, a long-established, family-run site with over 200 pitches, the team had been searching for a solution for years. “We were frequently losing money,” says owner Graham Jennings. “We had no idea how much electricity each guest was using, but we were footing the bill. One guest used £83 worth of electricity in just four days.”
Jennings says that the Metpow system gave them exactly what they needed: transparency and control. Guests now pay for the electricity they use, rather than a flat rate bundled into pitch fees. “We would never go back to the old way,” he says. “Seventy percent of our guests are now spending less, and we have kept pitch prices flat for our 50th season.”
Further along the coast in Devon, Lady’s Mile Holiday Park faced the challenge of managing over 1,000 pitches and lodges, each with different needs. “We needed a system that could handle complexity without making our operations more difficult,” says owner Jason Jeffery. “Now, we have pitch-by-pitch visibility from the site office. Our guests see what they use and pay accordingly. It has made the whole process more efficient.”
Watergate Bay with over 200 connected Meters
Guest satisfaction has improved too. Jeffery says the system gives guests the information they need without requiring extra staff input. “People appreciate clarity, especially when it helps avoid rising costs. It feels fair.”
At Concierge Camping in West Sussex, owner Guy admits he was initially hesitant. “I was sceptical about how customers would respond. You always worry about change. But our guests were completely on board. It is a very small percentage who raise concerns, and they are often the ones who are costing us the most in electricity.”
Guy reports that the system has saved the site around a third on its electricity bill. The savings have been reinvested, rather than passed onto guests in the form of higher prices. “Everyone has become more efficient, simply because they are more aware. That alone has been worth the switch.”
Guy at Concierge Camping says:
“Metpow has been brilliant. It has given us a system that is fair, simple, and effective. Our guests have embraced it because they don’t want the prices to go up — and now we don’t need to raise them just to cover the electricity. We have saved around a third on our bill, and the whole experience has made us more efficient as a business. If you run a campsite, or have statics or holiday homes, I would strongly recommend it. It has worked for us and I genuinely believe it could work for a lot of others too.”
Several park owners also pointed to ease of installation. Because the system runs on LoRaWAN rather than relying on site Wi-Fi or mobile signal, there was no need for costly trenching or disruption. One described it as surprisingly affordable for a technology that feels purpose-built for modern parks.
Many told me they expect the system to pay for itself within a couple of years.
For operators trying to balance guest satisfaction with rising energy costs, these parks offer a clear message. Smart metering is not just about cutting costs. It is about modernising in a way that works for everyone.
