Hi everyone we have taken a seasonal pitch this year , our first electric bill was great as it was low so we were shocked when the next one doubled, we have been using the blow air heating and the water heater , are both these units high wattage ? does anyone know please i have looked in my caravan manual but can't find the wattage output .
xx Gill
Generally speaking anything with a heating element will use much more electricity than a TV or fridge. Do you know how many klilowatts you have been charged with? On a site in Germany a month or so ago we averaged 6kws a day and that was no heating. At least in the UK they can only charge what they are charged per unit.
Blown air heating takes It's heat from the fire and is usually switchable between 500 watts, 1kw and 2kw. However, it has a thermostat which switched it on and off so doesn't consume that all the time.
Truma ultra-heat electric heating is a maximum of 2kw at the modern standard 230v, Carver was the same max 2kw but at the old standard 240v, so to comply, down rated to 1.85k at 230v rather than change the elements.
As most electric in the UK is delivered at very close to 240v, wattage for Truma is nearer 2.150kw and Carver still 2kw
I mention all that because wattage is a result not what produced it, so not what you are actually charged for. They charge you for the amps used, regardless of the heat in watts it produces but convert it back to Watts to 'simplify' the bill as a total!
Water heating after 1997 is almost always 850w, but as both type heating automatically switch on and off, you really have no way of knowing what the actual total hours use might be?!
'They' are the electricity provider, not the site owner, the site owner must only charge the exact amount,(based solely on your meter reading), he is charged for your usage
The simple answer to your question is yes,also depending on the age of your unit you might even have one of the newer Truma water heaters that have two heat settings 850 and 1300 watts. suprising how those watt hours add up in todays caravans, when you see what electrical items people use in caravans these days it makes you wonder if they ever use any gas.
------------- here today , where tomorrow?
yet another full timer,
Thanks for all the reply's our van is a 96 so it will be the older type and a higher wattage , our neighbor gave us an oil heater last night 700 watts our van is a 2 berth so hopefully this winter is will keep us warm for less .
xx Gill
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Topic: blown air heating / water heater wattage
