PHRAA is grateful to the member in the West Country who brought this to our attention recently. He had received his usual bill from the park owner for the electricity he had used but was horrified to note that an extra charge of £5 had been added stated to be for reading the meter. 

As all the electricity meters for the homes are housed in one building,  and it would only take a matter of seconds to note down the number of units each home had consumed in the current charging period, the homeowner questioned how the park owner could possibly justify trying to impose such a high and extra charge for this service.

The provision of an electricity supply is one of the essential services the park owner has to provide to each home and is included in the final purchase price of the home when sited.  Where, as in most cases, the park owner supplies the electricity through his own meters to each home, the homeowner pays for the electricity used directly to the park owner.  The park owner is responsible for reading these meters and supplying a bill  (monthly or quarterly, depending on the individual park owners charging period),  to the occupier for the amount used etc., and unless there is a specific clause in the homeowners agreement (contract) to the contrary, the provision of this service is included in the Pitch Fee (ground rent) payable to the park owner for the right to station their home on the park.

It is worth mentioning here that it is vitally important for anyone considering the purchase of a new park home to obtain a properly filled in version of the agreement (contract) from the park owner (DO NOT ACCEPT A BLANK VERSION) before you pay any money and study it in detail. Pay particular attention to the section of the New Edition Agreements as they contain a provision for the inclusion of extra charges. “It is a requirement of the amended Mobile Homes Act 1983/2006 that prospective purchasers of new park homes MUST be given a copy of he Agreement (contract) 28 days before they buy”. Insist that you are given a copy with the details filled in by the park owner together with a copy of the park rules. If you are in any doubt or have difficulty understanding the terms, have the agreement looked at by a Solicitor who understands Park Home Law or send a copy, (not the original) to PHRAA who will examine it for you for a nominal fee. Whatever you decide, don’t sign or pay any money until you are absolutely sure.

By seeking to impose this additional charge for reading the meter, a task he will have been doing for all the previous years without charging, the park owner, if successful, stands to gain, depending on the number of homes on the park, a significant rise in his income. I this instant, the park has 80 homes.  A £5 charge to each homeowner for reading the meter either monthly or quarterly stands to reap £400 in extra income for doing what he has to do anyway. Assuming that he reads the meter 4 times a year this would equate to £1,600 extra per year. Not a bad little earner!!!!! If he is allowed to get away with it.

If you or any of your fellow park homeowners have experienced this type of charge, please let PHRAA know. All information will be treated in confidence.

Compiled for PHRAA by Ron Joyce. General Secretary.                        July 2007.