The Texas Association of Campground Owners has presented its Supplier of the Year Award to Wild Energy, a Sarasota, Fla.-based company that is helping park operators improve their bottom line by sub-metering their water and electricity, according to a press release.
Wild Energy has grown its customer base from about 10 campgrounds and RV parks in 2021 to hundreds of parks across U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean today. The company initially installed equipment to help parks meter their electricity, but later expanded its services to include metering of water.
Wild Energy President and CEO Mike Sorensen said it is difficult for park operators to guess how much electricity their guests will consume and build that cost into their rates because people have different power consumption habits. Campsite fees that anticipate electricity consumption can be unfair to campers who conserve, while letting energy hogs off the hook.
Other wildcards include weather cycles and variable utility rates. Metering both water and power helps parks transfer these costs to their guests, based on their actual water and power consumption.
Wild Energy provides technology and software that enable private park operators to sub-meter their electric and water utilities and charge guests for their consumption. When campground and RV park guests are told they will have to pay for their own electricity and water consumption, most guests will use more discretion with their use of utilities.
Sorensen said an unmetered park’s power consumption typically drops by about 30% once meters are installed. Installing water meters can help save thousands of dollars by detecting leaks early, he said, while electric meters can identify voltage issues before they lead to larger system problems. Additionally, having water and power metered not only cuts waste and shifts utility costs to guests, but makes it easier for park operators to predict current and future income, he said.
Sub-metering is especially important given the growing power consumption needs of big rigs, electric vehicles and golf carts. Sub-metering can also help parks extend the longevity of their electrical infrastructure by detecting outages and other issues, Sorensen said.
