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An electric hook-up gives your pitch a mains supply, but booking an electric pitch is only the first step. You also need equipment suited to your accommodation and a realistic list of what you want to run.
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Ask the campsite three questions
Confirm the pitch’s current limit, the connection provided and the likely distance from your unit to the supply. Ask whether electricity is included in the pitch price or metered separately. These details affect what you pack and how you use it.
Describe your accommodation accurately. A tent needs a suitable camping mains distribution unit; a caravan with a built-in electrical installation has different connection arrangements. Do not assume the lead supplied with one setup is a complete solution for the other.
Choose the complete connection
The Camping and Caravanning Club’s electricity guide calls for purpose-built equipment, with protected sockets kept dry and above the tent floor. Read it alongside the instructions supplied with your own equipment.
The Maypole MP3767 roller unit is a 10A example with a 15m lead, RCD and circuit breaker. Its reach and total rating must suit your pitch. Three outlets do not mean three independent supplies.
Plan a modest appliance list
Write down each appliance’s input wattage from its rating label. Include background items such as a fridge or battery charger, then decide which larger loads can run at different times. A kettle used briefly still needs its full operating power while it heats.
For a simple illustration, a 1,000W kettle and a 1,500W heater total 2,500W. That already exceeds a nominal 10A, 230V supply’s 2,300W arithmetic limit, before any other appliance is counted. Choosing smaller appliances does not remove the need to add them together.
Make setup part of arrival
Inspect your equipment, follow its connection sequence and carry out the manufacturer’s required protection test. For a detachable hook-up lead, the Club advises connecting it to your unit before the site bollard, so you are not carrying an energised free end. Follow the instructions for your exact tent distribution unit too. Fully unwind a reel as instructed. Arrange the cable so vehicles, sharp edges and the main walking route will not damage it or catch people.
Use the tent’s cable entry if provided and position the distribution unit where its instructions permit. Keep plugs and appliance connections away from wet kit and spills. If the pitch arrangement prevents a suitable setup, ask the campsite to help before connecting.
Pack a torch and a meal that does not depend on mains electricity. A little preparation lets hook-up make the trip more comfortable without making every basic activity dependent on the supply.
Before packing, check hook-up cable length against the pitch route and use our camping hook-up amp guide to total the appliances you plan to run.
Continue with our camping power station guide.
Reviewed 10 September 2026. This guide is based on published specifications and guidance.