Charging etiquette

[Ant]

So what happens when you need to recharge you battery away from home? You go to a friends house, to a restaurant, maybe touring and are at a camp site? You get a tent site, but need power? Can you just plug in your charger and expect them to 'accept the cost'? What about at work? Any ideas?

 

[Mr. Coffee]

I always ask permission first, but I've had no problems charging at coffee shops, bakeries, and coin-op laundromats.

Campgrounds are more problematic. Even if there isn't an outlet at your campsite the restrooms sometimes have outlets. But then you have the problem of making sure your charger and battery are secure.

The only bad experience I had with charging was when I was eating fish tacos in Newport, Oregon and someone drove over my charger. That ended the trip.

 

[rich c]

It should cost less than a dollar to charge most batteries, shouldn't be an issue. The main issue might be they don't want you hanging around for 3 hours if your battery is dead! LOL

 

[Kemper]

It should cost less than a dollar to charge most batteries...

And for some much less according to this. Glad you mentioned as I once connected a Kill-A-Watt meter for a partial charge and measured $0.00! Always meant to look up if anyone else measured this.

 

[Alex M]

This is very little money.

If campground owner takes an issue with this, tell him that battery is 0.5 KWH.
Even in expensive California 1KWH costs 20 cents. If he's got enough brains to divide 20 cents by 2, he'll know that it costs him 10 cents. Camp electricity rates can be higher than residential, Ok - give him a quarter ...
OTH, if the camp owner/manager can't divide 20 by 2, I suggest staying away from him and his camp because either his IQ is dangerously low, or he is looking for trouble (or both).

Charging it in a camp washroom you'll annoy other campers wanting to plug electric shaver in, or charge their phones. Bike battery looks big, they don't realize that it's only 0.5 KWH.

I think there are typos in the table by Arizona rider linked above. It's 11.86 CENTS, not $11.86, and this is per kWH, not per kW. Az is cheaper than Ca.

 

[Mr. Coffee]

A lot of Oregon State Parks have hiker-biker campsites. Many of those campsites have "boxes" for your stuff (that you can lock if you brought a padlock) that also have outlets so you can charge things (I think they put them there for phones), but they typically have 120VAC outlets and I imagine that you can likely charge your batteries at camp.

 

[Saratoga Dave]

I've found libraries to be good as well... they're always nice and you have something to read while you're waiting.

Convenient stores and local pizza joints and similar, as long as you spend a couple dollars with them and are pleasant about it.

I've also learned to carry one of those gizmos you screw into a light socket - and the existing bulb screws into the end of this thing - that has a plug in the middle of it. The sort of thing you put into your driveway pole light at Christmas to power a string of Christmas lights. This can be a big help when you're really otherwise screwed. Last resort sort of thing.

 

[Ant]

I've never measured how much power that battery takes to charge, must do that! Security while charging is my main issue when at campgrounds. Most campgrounds, here, have complete kitchens so wouldn't be charging in a bathroom anyway. Could alway charge while cooking meals! Thank you for all of your ideas!