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gillumhouse

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An innkeeper in "green" country just posted a question on PAII. She had a from a potential guest who wants to "plug in" his electric car while there. She was asking how much she should charge since electricity is not exactly free (she also thinks he was expecting it to be free). I asked her if she was going to "charge his car" for free was she going to fill my gas guzzler for free. She thinks this may be the first of many calls and wants to have a policy (and - here it comes) CHARGE in place.
 
i would direct such guests ( or potential guests ) to this site
http://goo.gl/50QaK that's a DOE link
and i think there's an app for it as well
i don't know how much it costs to charge a car ... but it seems that the driver buys points to use one of these charging stations, i don't see it as free. looks like they prepay into a card system. not free, sorry!
 
She is not planning to be free either. Suggested she call a few dealers as=nd ask how much it costs. I also have no clue as to if you need a special hook-up (volts/amps). If so, the cost of that needs to be built into the fee. I suggested $25.
 
Now that is interesting! Had not thought of that. Now have to think of that. We only have one parking space anywhere near an outlet.
Here we go...$2-$4 to charge a car.
That said, let's do a little math. In Portland, Ore., where electric cars are gaining ground and the local utility is providing charging infrastructure, electricity runs about 6 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). The new Mini E, which is still in field trials, uses .22 kWh per mile, which translates to 22 kWh for 100 miles (160.9 kilometers) of driving. And in Portland, 22 kWh will cost $1.32.
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/how-much-does-it-cost-to-charge-an-electric-car.htm
Judging from the Portland, OR example it would cost around $3.50 to charge a car here. So, not really all that much.
If you want to figure out how much it costs to charge a car in relation to other stuff around the house, here's a calculator:
http://www.csgnetwork.com/elecenergycalcs.html
 
I don't know about other jurisdictions, but our electric company has set up a number of charging stations. It is $2.50 per charge. Our electricity runs 7.75c per kw (residential), so basically if I estimated this correctly, they are estimating that 32 kw is needed to charge an electric vehicle. They can pull out their electric bill, calculate their per kw price and double it for the markup.
I think Vermont is in the range of 12.75c per kWh, so that makes the wholesale cost of electricity charge about $4.08, adding the markup, so $8 to $9 for the charge.
 
I don't know about other jurisdictions, but our electric company has set up a number of charging stations. It is $2.50 per charge. Our electricity runs 7.75c per kw (residential), so basically if I estimated this correctly, they are estimating that 32 kw is needed to charge an electric vehicle. They can pull out their electric bill, calculate their per kw price and double it for the markup.
I think Vermont is in the range of 12.75c per kWh, so that makes the wholesale cost of electricity charge about $4.08, adding the markup, so $8 to $9 for the charge..
Eric Arthur Blair said:
I think Vermont is in the range of 12.75c per kWh, so that makes the wholesale cost of electricity charge about $4.08, adding the markup, so $8 to $9 for the charge.
It's 16 cents here. Why mark it up? Why charge at all? Some guests stay in the shower for 30 minutes. Some of them use every possible amenity available and walk off with what they can't use at the moment. The innkeeper should get the facts on the amount of money this is going to cost (minimal) and then use it as a marketing tool. 'Recharge your batteries and your car's as well!'
If the inn is in VT, they should jump on this bandwagon. Take pix of the guest's car charging up. Make a little sign for the outlet with a car with a big smile on its grill.
As JB would say, 'Blog it baby!'
 
COOL! This is a nice convenience you can charge for, just like flowers and chocolates. Imagine somebody driving to your area from "off", arriving at your B&B in the late afternoon/evening, tired from traveling. Do you think they then want to go driving around your strange-to-them town looking for the city or utility company charging station so they'll be "gassed up" to strike out tomorrow? (Especially if it takes a few hours for a car to recharge.)
I know for myself, I'd be delighted to be able to just plug in at your B&B and go to my room with my family while the car charges. I'd pay for that convenience, a reasonable amount above the actual cost of the electricity. I think most people would.
The next question, how to control the outlet so it only works for paying guests.
 
There are actually some B&Bs/inns that offer discounts along with a complimentary charging station for electric vehicles. I have stayed at two of them - one on the East Coast in my home state and another one on the West Coast in California.
Some vehicles require a special charging station, others (Chevy Volt) you can plug into a standard home outlet via the car's portable charge cord.
 
it's all very new to me and out of the realm of my experience. i guess it depends on just how much it will cost for cars to charge, what equipment is needed, etc. what if you have nine rooms and 5 of them want to charge up their car? just sayin' ....
although ... i had a guest with a motorized wheelchair type thing that he asked to charge each day and evening for a few hours at a time. it was a bit awkward setting it up out of the way of everyone else since the chair was for outdoor use and couldn't come in the house ... it had big wheels. i wouldn't consider charging him, was delighted he stayed. he offered to pay, but i said no. he left a nice tip in the room. this is very different, i know.
 
I wonder if there’s a “recharging station here” logo to display on a website similar to the Wi-Fi available and similar logos.
Need to offer a 240V recharging station. I've read that 120V takes overnight to recharge most cars, while 240V takes just a few hours. Guests would like to see 240V available.
Need to find out what female connections the various cars require to plug into. Surely it's standardized in the industry. Yeah, right!
 
I don't know about other jurisdictions, but our electric company has set up a number of charging stations. It is $2.50 per charge. Our electricity runs 7.75c per kw (residential), so basically if I estimated this correctly, they are estimating that 32 kw is needed to charge an electric vehicle. They can pull out their electric bill, calculate their per kw price and double it for the markup.
I think Vermont is in the range of 12.75c per kWh, so that makes the wholesale cost of electricity charge about $4.08, adding the markup, so $8 to $9 for the charge..
Eric Arthur Blair said:
I think Vermont is in the range of 12.75c per kWh, so that makes the wholesale cost of electricity charge about $4.08, adding the markup, so $8 to $9 for the charge.
It's 16 cents here. Why mark it up? Why charge at all? Some guests stay in the shower for 30 minutes. Some of them use every possible amenity available and walk off with what they can't use at the moment. The innkeeper should get the facts on the amount of money this is going to cost (minimal) and then use it as a marketing tool. 'Recharge your batteries and your car's as well!'
If the inn is in VT, they should jump on this bandwagon. Take pix of the guest's car charging up. Make a little sign for the outlet with a car with a big smile on its grill.
As JB would say, 'Blog it baby!'
.
Madeleine said:
The innkeeper should get the facts on the amount of money this is going to cost (minimal) and then use it as a marketing tool. 'Recharge your batteries and your car's as well!'
Excellent marketing blurb! Better than gas card giveaways...
 
I don't know about other jurisdictions, but our electric company has set up a number of charging stations. It is $2.50 per charge. Our electricity runs 7.75c per kw (residential), so basically if I estimated this correctly, they are estimating that 32 kw is needed to charge an electric vehicle. They can pull out their electric bill, calculate their per kw price and double it for the markup.
I think Vermont is in the range of 12.75c per kWh, so that makes the wholesale cost of electricity charge about $4.08, adding the markup, so $8 to $9 for the charge..
Eric Arthur Blair said:
I think Vermont is in the range of 12.75c per kWh, so that makes the wholesale cost of electricity charge about $4.08, adding the markup, so $8 to $9 for the charge.
It's 16 cents here. Why mark it up? Why charge at all? Some guests stay in the shower for 30 minutes. Some of them use every possible amenity available and walk off with what they can't use at the moment. The innkeeper should get the facts on the amount of money this is going to cost (minimal) and then use it as a marketing tool. 'Recharge your batteries and your car's as well!'
If the inn is in VT, they should jump on this bandwagon. Take pix of the guest's car charging up. Make a little sign for the outlet with a car with a big smile on its grill.
As JB would say, 'Blog it baby!'
.
Okay, other side of the coin, it's an added expense that you are absorbing, so either you put your price up to cover it, or you lower your profits. I assume that you don't want to lower your profits, so you will likely add it into the price.
But we also have different considerations. For some people it might be an amenity that you throw in, but not for me. I can't afford it.
I know that calculations are different for you, but in the city a parking space has costs. Around here, a parking space is about $50K to purchase, or about $7 a day in mortgage payments. Sure in Vermont you can get 50 acres for $50K in some places, here it's a single parking spot, before city property taxes and insurance. So just to get them to the plug costs me $7 a day, never mind the electricity.
 
I wonder if there’s a “recharging station here” logo to display on a website similar to the Wi-Fi available and similar logos.
Need to offer a 240V recharging station. I've read that 120V takes overnight to recharge most cars, while 240V takes just a few hours. Guests would like to see 240V available.
Need to find out what female connections the various cars require to plug into. Surely it's standardized in the industry. Yeah, right!.
Here's one of the places we stayed that has a charging station. At a quick glance, I don't see if it's complimentary or not. I do know that they do a lot of truly "green" things at this B&B. And, it was a great place to stay, too!!
We have a friend with a Chevy Volt and it would take 8-10 hours to fully charge the depleted battery with 120V, so Arks is right that 240V is the way to go.
 
Sorry, Folks. I feel like I grab my ankles enough. I give all sorts of stuff for free and have reached the point where I think enough is enough. If electricity is that cheap, who cares if they leave every light on in the house and run the A/C full blast with the windows open. Free Wi-Fi, free cable, fancy amenities, free gas cards, now free fill up your tank. Sigh...,
Thankfully, will not have to deal with the question - I do not think they have enough "juice" to get to us. I will go back to my cave now.
 
I don't know about other jurisdictions, but our electric company has set up a number of charging stations. It is $2.50 per charge. Our electricity runs 7.75c per kw (residential), so basically if I estimated this correctly, they are estimating that 32 kw is needed to charge an electric vehicle. They can pull out their electric bill, calculate their per kw price and double it for the markup.
I think Vermont is in the range of 12.75c per kWh, so that makes the wholesale cost of electricity charge about $4.08, adding the markup, so $8 to $9 for the charge..
Eric Arthur Blair said:
I think Vermont is in the range of 12.75c per kWh, so that makes the wholesale cost of electricity charge about $4.08, adding the markup, so $8 to $9 for the charge.
It's 16 cents here. Why mark it up? Why charge at all? Some guests stay in the shower for 30 minutes. Some of them use every possible amenity available and walk off with what they can't use at the moment. The innkeeper should get the facts on the amount of money this is going to cost (minimal) and then use it as a marketing tool. 'Recharge your batteries and your car's as well!'
If the inn is in VT, they should jump on this bandwagon. Take pix of the guest's car charging up. Make a little sign for the outlet with a car with a big smile on its grill.
As JB would say, 'Blog it baby!'
.
Okay, other side of the coin, it's an added expense that you are absorbing, so either you put your price up to cover it, or you lower your profits. I assume that you don't want to lower your profits, so you will likely add it into the price.
But we also have different considerations. For some people it might be an amenity that you throw in, but not for me. I can't afford it.
I know that calculations are different for you, but in the city a parking space has costs. Around here, a parking space is about $50K to purchase, or about $7 a day in mortgage payments. Sure in Vermont you can get 50 acres for $50K in some places, here it's a single parking spot, before city property taxes and insurance. So just to get them to the plug costs me $7 a day, never mind the electricity.
.
Eric Arthur Blair said:
Okay, other side of the coin, it's an added expense that you are absorbing, so either you put your price up to cover it, or you lower your profits. I assume that you don't want to lower your profits, so you will likely add it into the price.
That's not really the entire list of options. It can also be an added amenity that will increase your occupancy, so that even if your per room profits are lower, your overall profit is higher.
We all have lots of variable costs per room for standard amenities. One room uses all the soaps and takes the individual bottles of goodies, another doesn't. One room takes $3.00 worth of snacks from the snack basket, another doesn't. Some guests drink a pot of coffee in the morning, another drinks a cup. If the added cost of electricity is in the pot of coffee/snack basket range, I wouldn't see the rationale in charging for it. IMO, that puts us in the realm of the hotels, with the $4.50 bottled water, $10 cashews, and $15.00 internet fee.
It seems like it would be clear to me that if free parking isn't one of your amenities, then free electric for charging your car is not going to be an amenity. Apples and oranges.
 
Now that is interesting! Had not thought of that. Now have to think of that. We only have one parking space anywhere near an outlet.
Here we go...$2-$4 to charge a car.
That said, let's do a little math. In Portland, Ore., where electric cars are gaining ground and the local utility is providing charging infrastructure, electricity runs about 6 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). The new Mini E, which is still in field trials, uses .22 kWh per mile, which translates to 22 kWh for 100 miles (160.9 kilometers) of driving. And in Portland, 22 kWh will cost $1.32.
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/how-much-does-it-cost-to-charge-an-electric-car.htm
Judging from the Portland, OR example it would cost around $3.50 to charge a car here. So, not really all that much.
If you want to figure out how much it costs to charge a car in relation to other stuff around the house, here's a calculator:
http://www.csgnetwork.com/elecenergycalcs.html.
We gave up waiting on the MINI E!
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I think that if this is something important to you personally and you have a charging station for your own vehicle, or this is something that is going to become increasingly popular where you're located, providing this service for your guests (either free or for a nominal fee) would be a great marketing tool. The logistics of where to actually install a charging station could be a deal breaker for a lot of B&Bs/inns.
People where I live have really not gotten into totally electric cars much, but more and more hybrids are on the streets here. There is a charging station at the Nissan dealer but I don't know what or if they charge there....
 
Let us remember that for the most part it will not be just one charge up, but several unless they are only one nighters. If this does become more of the standard (don't see it happening soon) and a free amenity, I see prices needing to be raised in order to keep up with the bill. One car, at $2-4 is not going to make that much difference in your monthly bill, but multiply that by your ave occ. and it compounds things....
 
My inn is within 100 miles of a major metropolitan area, not known as a 'green' area necessarily but certainly of the demographic that might buy an electric car. My guests have arrived driving hybrids, motorcycles, zipcars and Humvees but I've never had an all-electric car and I've never had a potential guest inquire about the availability of a recharge. It may be coming but not that quickly, and definitely not fast enough that any one needs to run out and invest in charging stations tomorrow. Some B&Bs may offer it - Samster is right, it's probably those innkeepers who are also interested or who have electric vehicles themselves - and it will be a novelty, a niche market. Offering a list of local charging stations, if you have them, is probably enough, and no different than telling guests where to buy gas.
 
"Recharge and Energize at our B&B"
I wrote a blog article about going green, but it was based on paddling, walking, climbing, biking...thanks for the reminder, time for another one.
We did the joint innterativeinns article on PARK IT and SAVE! sharing things to do once they land at the inn and won't need to use their vehicle.
 
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