Haven price hikes mean I can't afford staycations for the first time in 30 years - I'm devastated at
HAVEN price rises have meant a dad can no longer afford a family staycation and he’s being forced to sell his caravans.
Ben Barnfield, from Bolton upon Dearne, South Yorkshire, has been going to Thorpe Park in Cleethorpes with his family for 30 years and says the visits are “the only time” he feels truly happy.
However, Haven has increased their fees due to the rise in inflation and energy prices and the family are now considering giving up their caravans for good.
The dad-of-five told Grimsby Live: "I've been coming every year for as long as I can remember. We're one of the earliest owners on that caravan site.
“My mum first bought the caravan which I rent out 30 years ago, and then my nanna got one to be close to my mum. I've now bought that caravan.”
He said though that the rates have doubled in the last three years, saying that when he first bought a caravan the fees were £3,000 a year but now they are £6,000.
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Haven pointed out that those fees are for his two caravans.
Ben added: "I can't see us staying there next year with the way the rates are increasing, it's not possible to keep it. It costs me £300 in electric every month. It's not good for my mental health. I feel like I'm letting my kids down."
Haven has disputed that figure, saying for 2022, the average cost of electricity was £270 a year.
He said he felt devastated by the situation because his family had created so many happy memories of their visits over the years.
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It was at the park that he met his wife, his brother also met his wife there and his sister met her husband.
Sadly though, his younger sister, who was disabled suffered a fatal heart attack when she was just 21, outside the caravan in 2019.
When Ben and his family returned home having visited the caravan the following year, they discovered his dad had died in his sleep as a result of sleep apnea.
That tragedy saw Ben’s mental health spiral downwards and he has suffered from it since.
He added that visiting his caravan was “the only time I’m happy”.
Ben explained that his caravan rates had shot up by a hefty £1,400.
He said last year they were charged £500 which was for the upgrades to the site but added they were now being charged more because it was a “premium site".
Haven said Ben was not charged £500 in one year but that the costs were spread over a number of years.
Ben said due to the cost of living and the cost of everything on the rise, it was just "unbelievable.”
He added that it was cheaper to mortgage a house in Cleethorpes than to rent a caravan in Thorpe Park, saying he thought they were trying to push the owners out because they made more money by renting them out.
Haven said in a statement: “Like many businesses, Haven is experiencing the effects of inflation and rising energy costs which is impacting every aspect of our operations.
“While we have been working hard to offset these impacts, the cost of running our parks has increased significantly.
“This means to maintain the quality of our parks and a high level of service for our valued holiday homeowners, site fees have increased in 2023.”
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Haven also provides on-site support to owners and by providing alternative payment plans or letting options
Owners are able to open a six month direct debit to help pay for site fees.
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