I realize that everyone's electric usage varies, but I was wondering what electricity costs are for some of the full timers.......we are ALMOST ready to by our first MH, probably a class A 34-38 ', 2 or 3 slides......trying to guestimate where we will be staying, have a general plan on where we will eventually end up this summer and fall/winter. I have come across rv parks that INCLUDE all h/ups, including electric, and others, for longer stays, that have "discounted" rates, but have metered electric. Is it better on the budget to take the "free" electricity and stay at the site for the max for all utilities? Or would a lower weekly/monthly rate (but have metered electricity) be less expensive? I just need some feedback as to what others have experienced..............

We're in south Louisiana where we run the heater and air conditioner frequently. And the heater has been used more frequently this winter. Our coach is an all electric 45' with 2 slides so we have a lot of space to maintain. Our electric bill has been from $100-150.

If you are running air and elecric heaters a lot then expect in the 100-125 area....that is about what we do under heavy use.....coach in sig line.

The amount will vary greatly by season and how you heat and cool. Our highest cost was during the three summer months we spent in the Dallas area where we paid about $225 per month for three incredibly hot months. The rest of the year the costs are usually more in the range Jack mentions. That said, we have found parks where the electric is included to be the most economical by far.

Summer 2011, late July, at Excapee's in Livingston, TX, temps high 90s F, humidity in the 90% range, metered electricty at 12.5 cents KWH, the bill averaged $5.66 per day, 32 ft fiver, 50 AMP with two ACs (15,000 and 13,500 BTU) running most of the day to keep the RV cool. I would think that this is on the high side for AC. If it were very cold and you were doing it with electricty, it could also be that high.

We much prefer having metered electricity.

Usually your electric is included for most parks on a daily or weekly rental basis. Some include electric with monthly rates, but most charge extra for electric. Daily rates in a CG are usually the highest they charge, then if you stay a week you get a little break in rates. The best rate if monthly and the highest discount.

We budget $350/month for CG fees and have been averaging $268.

The park we are in includes electric charges for the daily or weekly rates. If you pay the monthly rate it is as cheap as 2 weeks but then you have to pay extra for the electric. They do put a cap of $100. for the month's electric charge. That works good for us. Dave

We used to use about 250 kWh per month when little or no AC use was involved. Now we both have CPAP machines and my wife uses an oxygen concentrator at night along with the CPAP.

We now use about 400 kWh per month.

We have paid as little as about $0.10 per kWh and as much as $0.20 per kWh.

So our electricity bill has been as little as $24 and as much as $80.

AC or electric heater use can increase that a lot.

Here in AZ, RV parks can charge what they want for electricity as long as you don't rent the site for 180 or more consecutive days. The park we spend the winter in charges $0.20 per kWh . The good news is they only charge $160 per month for the site with water and sewer included.

Other parks here (Bouse AZ) chrage less for electricity but more for the site rental.

Edited March 9, 2014 by Clay L

$100-150/month for me in a 36' Class A with two >12' slides using electric for everything while wintering in Texas. Heat, AC, water heater, convection oven, microwave, hotplate, fridge, media storage array, DVR, and a laptop or two. Oh, and gaming computer and some game consoles. I'm not stingy with my heat and AC. If you're the type to put on a sweater before turning up the thermostat, your bill should be lower. Using propane for heat may be cheaper. I haven't done the math.

As others have said, all utilities are generally included in daily and weekly rates. Monthly rates usually don't include electricity and I've even seen (but not stayed at) a couple of places that metered water use. Either way, the monthly rate will work out to be far cheaper than the weekly rate unless you're staging battles between multiple electric heaters and AC units. The place I'm at now is $28/day, $160/week, $415/month. So, in February (to make the weekly rate math work out) that would be $784 at the daily rate, $640 at the weekly rate, or $515-565 at the monthly rate with electricity added.

On an unrelated note, if internet access is important to you, bring your own. Internet service at most RV parks is pretty bad. Place I'm at now doesn't even get a rating of "reallllly slow". It's been offline since before I got here. On second thought, it's TengoInternet. It's probably less frustrating this way because I can't waste any time trying to use it.

Well we are not full timers but we spend long periods in one place like 6 months in the winter. Electric cost vary all over the place. We are in a Rv condo community where you own the lot and the utilities are metered. It is in central Florida . I forgot what the electric and water rates are but we use what we use and pay the bill. Might be 80.00 one month and 110.00 the next depending on the temperatures. The A/C's have been running a lot the last few days as it has been in the mid 90's. The water bills are very high here in Florida. We get 45 and 50.00 water bills for a 5th wheel camper. Our S&B water bills are much lower.

Our utility bills at our S &B in Northern Ohio are much less for a much larger area. When we first got to Florida 6 years ago we stayed at a Snowbird campground and paid 545.00 per month all utilities included. Folks who will rent our their self owned lots here in this resort get anywhere f rom 650.00 to 850.00 per month all utilities included.

We like to be comfortable in terms of heat and cooling so we use whatever it takes. We have no usage spreadsheets.

  On 3/9/2014 at 2:25 AM, Clay L said:

Here in AZ, RV parks can charge what they want for electricity as long as you don't rent the site for 180 or more consecutive days.

Is this something unique to AZ? I ask because I was told in more than one RV park in TX that they cannot adjust prices because to do so would make them a power company. I don't know if this is TX specific or what.

I don't know if other states allow it or not. It depends on the state regulatory agency - not the feds as some people think.

Below is the AZ state info.

Revised bill url scroll down to 33-2101
http://www.azleg.state.az.us/arizonarevisedstatutes.asp?title=33

33-2101. Application; duration of stay; exclusions

A. This chapter applies to, regulates and determines rights, obligations and remedies for a recreational vehicle space rented in a recreational vehicle park or mobile home park by the same tenant under a rental agreement for more than one hundred eighty consecutive days.

B. This chapter does not apply to mobile homes, manufactured homes and factory-built buildings or to a property with one or two recreational vehicle rental spaces.

http://www.azleg.state.az.us/FormatDocument.asp?inDoc=/ars/33/02101.htm&Title=33&DocType=ARS

the cost of to keep a rig cool is also directly related to the color of the rig.our 5th wheel has a nice full body paint job in dark colors and above 75 degrees you cannot hold your hand on it but a white unit no problem so we end up with both ac units working.next rv will be white!

Had the same idea of the lighter coach and a/c units........noticed that the new coaches have black units (?) We ended up with a 35' class A, light colored, with 2 a/c units. The plan was to travel with the seasons, but because of my ongoing medical treatments, we will be in central FLA for a while......have a 2 year lease at this sight, the discounted monthly rate will $till allow us to travel next summer up North . Our electric is metered directly from the electric co. (a co-operative we've had for many years) .......but, with 90's every day, lows in the high 70's, our air units are really working.......waiting for the first electric bill