What are the monthly costs of living in a Park Home?

Homeowners pay a pitch fee, or 'ground rent', to the park owners for the plot on which their home is sited. This pitch fee varies from park to park, but is typically in the region of £120 - £150 a month, though this varies from park to park and from home to home. This pitch fee is for the right to keep the home on the particular park, and also covers maintenance of the communal areas, roads and such factors as electricity for streetlights.

Other costs are much the same (or slightly less) compared to living in a bricks and mortar home. Council tax is payable on park homes, although this is usually the cheapest band, band A. Electricity is approximately half the price of a normal 'bricks and mortar' home, especially if the park buys electricity in bulk at commercial rates. Other services such a telephone line and satellite TV are purchased directly from suppliers such as BT.

Gas is sometimes piped in directly from the mains, depending on how far from a town or village the park is sited. If no mains gas is available, for example if the park is in a rural location, then LPG gas is generally used. On some parks, LPG gas is bought in bulk from suppliers and then piped to each home. LPG gas is more expensive than natural gas, and is one of the costs that is higher on residential parks than in traditional houses. However residents make a saving in other aspects such as the electricity so there is an element of one offsetting the other.

Water is often metered and charged by the park based on consumption and rates approved by OFWAT. In some instances, water is supplied directly from the local water utility company.

Modern park homes are well insulated and can require less energy to heat than bricks and mortar homes. As such the amount of gas and electricity used compares favourably with that used in bricks and mortar homes.