Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Carer charging electric bike? How much adding to bill?

111 replies

helpmakingahome · 26/12/2025 15:45

My aunt lives quite rurally and had a carer come in 3 times a day to help her get up etc. When the carer arrives, she immediately plugs in her electric bike into an extension lead in the outside lean to and leaves her bike charging there for an hour.

The carer keeps failing her driving test so can't get a car and relies on the electric bike to get her about. I understand that my aunt is quite remote and maybe the carer is worried about running out of battery in the middle of nowhere but it seems a bit off. I don't know how much this is adding to my aunt's electricity bill, she's on disability so quite a small fixed income. Any ideas how much it will be costing to charge? If it's a couple if quid then it's fine but I don't know. Is this normal now?

OP posts:
Frequency · 26/12/2025 18:22

Twinkletoes127 · 26/12/2025 18:19

Anything that is "costed" into the price of care absolutely does not get paid to carers! There is a nominal per mile fuel refund at a fraction of the cost, but absolutely nothing close to the real cost, and then on top of that, if it takes 40 minutes to drive to the ne t client, that 40 minutes in completely unpaid. But I guess the 16p per mile fuel reimbursement should cover that eh?

Show quote history

I never said they were paid for travel time; you've completely misconstrued my post.

I was replying to a poster who asked if the relative would be expected to pay for fuel if the carer drove; the answer is yes, they would.

whistlesandbells · 26/12/2025 18:23

It’s your aunt’s house and electric bill being used by her carer? Why does this concern you?

Politicians247UnderwearExtinguishingService · 26/12/2025 18:29

Boododedoop · 26/12/2025 17:58

Not at the expense of a person who’s living on a small income.

Once the carer starts driving are you suggesting the aunt chis in for the carers petrol?

Show quote history

But she isn't charging it to fiendishly grab free electricity at a client's expense; she's charging it because it needs charging - and if it isn't charged then, she will have no way of getting back to her for a later care visit that day.

Petrol is very different, as you can fill a tank in 5 minutes and it will last you maybe a week or two, depending on the range that you have to cover for all your calls.

It's the facility and opportunity she needs; not a free few pence of electricity.

ScarlettOYara · 26/12/2025 18:30

Politicians247UnderwearExtinguishingService · 26/12/2025 18:29

But she isn't charging it to fiendishly grab free electricity at a client's expense; she's charging it because it needs charging - and if it isn't charged then, she will have no way of getting back to her for a later care visit that day.

Petrol is very different, as you can fill a tank in 5 minutes and it will last you maybe a week or two, depending on the range that you have to cover for all your calls.

It's the facility and opportunity she needs; not a free few pence of electricity.

Show quote history

This ⬆️. All for just a few pence.

Sasgatchewyn · 26/12/2025 18:30

OP, this is unbelievably cheap (and nasty) of you.

Wipe your aunt's arse yourself, if you're worried about someone costing a few measly pence!

Twinkletoes127 · 26/12/2025 18:38

Frequency · 26/12/2025 18:22

I never said they were paid for travel time; you've completely misconstrued my post.

I was replying to a poster who asked if the relative would be expected to pay for fuel if the carer drove; the answer is yes, they would.

Show quote history

I apologise for misconstruing your post x

Booboobagins · 26/12/2025 19:01

Lithium ion battery fires are thankfully rare. Batteries can overheat if overcharged/damaged - hoping the carer knows this.

Charging it outside is safer, I'd probably pop a smoke alarm nearby if its under cover though just in case...

Serencwtch · 26/12/2025 19:03

MumChp · 26/12/2025 17:36

The OP said outside.

Good luck finding another career rural if saying no.
Is it really a hill to die on?

Show quote history

Exactly the same scenario as my neighbour. They used an extension lead to reach a lean-to by her back door. It exploded & caused a fire which gutted the kitchen & smoke damaged the entire house
Charging e-bikes via extension lead meant her insurance didn't pay out.
After seeing that happen - yes it would be a hill I'd be prepared to die on.

If OP checks with her insurance & it's charged using the correct charger then there's no issue but I would definitely check.

AnnaQuayInTheUk · 26/12/2025 19:08

OP you are being unbelievably petty. It's a few pence per charge.

Families like you are why it's so hard to get decent care workers.

LoudSnoringDog · 26/12/2025 19:11

In answer you to your post AIBU? Yes. And petty.
grow up.

cantbearsed247 · 26/12/2025 19:33

Not sure why everyone is being so nasty to the OP, she was just worried about her aunt getting ripped off!

All she needed was someone to say it would only cost a matter of pence. She's not being petty, she literally just wanted to check it wasn't costing her aunt money that she couldn't afford.

Somersetbaker · 26/12/2025 20:23

In guess the OP was worried that her inheritance might be diminished by a few quid. If she feels that strongly about it she can always care for her aunt herself on minimum wage.

WiddlinDiddlin · 26/12/2025 20:59

sanityisamyth · 26/12/2025 17:57

I’d be more concerned about it catching fire than the cost of the electricity.

The fire risk is minimal given it's being charged outside during the day whilst people are around.

The real fire risks around charging things come when they're charged unattended at night, and in stupid places - like my Dads neighbours who left a cheap chinese powertool battery charger running.. in an uninhabited room crammed with tins of paint and paper, in a wood framed house, stuffed with plastic wrap they were storing for some reason, more paint, cans of oil and fuel and more paper and loads of timber - all materials/fuel for rebuilding their semi-derelict barn. They lost the whole house, by the time they woke up, they were lucky to get themselves out uinjured!

BotterMon · 26/12/2025 21:04

I can't believe the same carer comes 3 x a day, 7 days a week so am guessing her other carers drive? Therefore this is costing peanuts and rural carers are like golddust.

Topseyt123 · 27/12/2025 01:33

helpmakingahome · 26/12/2025 17:23

Thanks everyone for letting me know how much it costs to change a bike, I honestly had no idea if it was pennies or £40 a time! I'm obviously not going to worry if it's a few pounds a day, I was just concerned if it was adding hundreds to her bill every month. There's no problems with carers using anything in the house, same as when we're in work. As long as they're good to my aunt, everything is fine. I just hadn't come across an electric bike before so had no idea.

It does NOT cost a few pounds per day. Don't be ridiculous. It's a few PENCE.

I assume she (your aunt) doesn't always have the same carer three times a day. My mother has carers and it will be two or three different ones each day on the rota. All driving, so I am assuming most of your aunt's carers drive. Only one who comes on the electric bike. So the amount it costs when charging is absolutely minuscule and will barely be noticeable.

Presumably she charges the bike where she can in order that she can get to all of her jobs and then get back to the office/home without getting stranded (ebikes are often very heavy to pedal if the motor stops, but very efficient and fast with it). I'm sure you wouldn't want her to risk getting stranded for the sake of such a minuscule amount. That would very mean.

caringcarer · 27/12/2025 01:52

About 5p for an hour's charge shows you are being incredibly petty. It is so hard to get carers to go to rural locations your Auntie is lucky to have found her.

DeathStare · 27/12/2025 02:20

helpmakingahome · 26/12/2025 17:23

Thanks everyone for letting me know how much it costs to change a bike, I honestly had no idea if it was pennies or £40 a time! I'm obviously not going to worry if it's a few pounds a day, I was just concerned if it was adding hundreds to her bill every month. There's no problems with carers using anything in the house, same as when we're in work. As long as they're good to my aunt, everything is fine. I just hadn't come across an electric bike before so had no idea.

But you know how to Google, no?

Ihavelostthegame · 27/12/2025 03:20

Boododedoop · 26/12/2025 17:46

Op, how many days per week is this happening?

If the carer had passed her driving test and was arriving by car she’d have had to pay for fuel and would posters be thinking it’s okay for your aunty to be chipping in for that as well?

You've said your aunt is on a small fixed income and over a month the 3 times a day battery charging could be the difference between your aunt enjoying a nice meal or having to have tea and toast instead.

@Boododedoop Yes part of the cost of providing care to individuals in their own homes is the fuel it takes to get there. It is a cost to the carer and is past on to their clients either directly as a travel expense or it is built into the price paid per hour for the care. Of course it is! Carers are not charities they are working to earn a living. And piss off with the woe is me poor clients crap. People make choices to stay living in a remote location which directly increases the cost of transport for the carers. So yes you will pay more for rural care and rightly so. I charge an extra £5 per session for out of area care calls. If people don’t like it - fine find someone else.

cloudtreecarpet · 27/12/2025 06:59

OP - why didn't you just Google it? 🙄
Such an easy thing to find out & would have taken way less time than typing your original post did.

Or were you hoping for a good rant on here about the "selfish carer"?

topcat2014 · 27/12/2025 07:12

Whilst the cost is small I would have expected to be asked permission in the first instance. To not do so is cheeky

Sesma · 27/12/2025 07:20

Maybe OP should just engage brain and think logically that a bike charging up is not going to be £40 and however many kWh that would be, it's much more than an electric shower or oven would be

ScarlettOYara · 27/12/2025 07:26

cloudtreecarpet · 27/12/2025 06:59

OP - why didn't you just Google it? 🙄
Such an easy thing to find out & would have taken way less time than typing your original post did.

Or were you hoping for a good rant on here about the "selfish carer"?

Perhaps that the carer is a CF!

JumpingPumpkin · 27/12/2025 07:40

I don't know why everyone is so unpleasant to the OP, she said that a couple of quid would be fine, so all the sneering responses were unnecessary once the actual likely cost was confirmed.

AnnaQuayInTheUk · 27/12/2025 08:54

@JumpingPumpkin because the OP could have found the answer in a quick Google. It seems like the post was just an excuse to have a go at the poor care worker

Fiftyandme · 27/12/2025 08:59

Wow. Just wow.