RV Park: Metered Electric Bill For A Site

Excel Formulas › Campground & RV Park

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Long-term sites almost always bill electric separately, and the guest who runs two air conditioners in August should not pay the same as the one who is away all month. Two meter reads and a rate turn that fairness into a line on the invoice.

Quick formula: Usage times rate, rounded to cents, plus the flat fee:

=ROUND((C2-B2)*D2,2)+E2

A site that went from 41,250 to 41,608 used 358 kWh — $50.84 of power plus a $5 service fee is $55.84.

Functions used (tap for the full reference guide):

ROUND SUM

The example

Three long-term sites read on the same day, all on the same rate and service fee.

	A	B	C	D	E	F
1	Site	Start read	End read	Rate/kWh	Fee	Amount due
2	A-14	41250	41608	0.142	5	55.84
3	B-03	22890	23004	0.142	5	21.19
4	C-22	8005	8790	0.142	5	116.47

The formula

Usage, price, round, then add the fee:

=ROUND((C2-B2)*D2,2)+E2 // end - start = kWh, x rate, rounded to cents, + flat fee

How it works

Order matters here:

C2-B2 is the kilowatt-hours used since the last read. Both reads come from the sub-meter, and both belong in the sheet so a dispute can be audited.
*D2 applies the rate. Whether you may charge more than your own utility rate is a question of local law, so keep the rate visible rather than buried in the formula.
ROUND(...,2) before adding the fee. Rounding the usage charge to cents on its own keeps the invoice line matching the total.
+E2 is the flat monthly service charge if your park uses one. It is not part of the per-kWh math and should never be inside the rounding.

Carry the end read forward as next month's start read with a simple reference and the whole ledger becomes self-maintaining.

Try it: interactive demo

Interactive

Enter the two meter reads, your rate per kilowatt-hour, and the flat service fee.

Start read

End read

Rate per kWh

Service fee

Variations

Handle a meter rollover

A five-digit meter that passes 99,999 starts again at zero; add the rollover back when the end read is lower.

=ROUND(IF(C2<B2,C2+100000-B2,C2-B2)*D2,2)+E2

Split power out of an all-in rate

When rent is quoted all-in, show the power component separately for transparency.

=ROUND((C2-B2)*D2,2)

Pitfalls & errors

What you may charge a sub-metered guest is regulated in many states — often capped at your own utility's rate with no markup, and sometimes requiring a certified meter. Check before you set the rate cell.

Photograph the meter face on read day and file it by site. Almost every billing dispute ends the moment a dated photo of the reading appears.

A negative usage figure means a rollover, a swapped read, or a replaced meter — never a credit. Guard it with the rollover variation or an IF that flags it rather than billing a negative.

Practice workbook

📊

Download the free RV Park: Metered Electric Bill For A Site practice workbook

Edit the yellow meter reads, rate, and fee cells; the amount due recalculates.

Frequently asked questions

Can I add a markup to the utility rate?

That depends entirely on where the park is. Some jurisdictions allow a reasonable administrative fee but prohibit marking up the energy itself, which is exactly why the flat fee sits in its own column here rather than being folded into the rate.

How often should sites be read?

Monthly on the same day of the month keeps the periods comparable. If a guest departs mid-month, take a final read on the day they leave rather than prorating an estimate.

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Function references: ROUND SUM