Simple ideas

Apparently some climate deal has just been struck in Paris. It got me thinking. Obviously there are many things that must be done, but what about simple stuff?

At work, I reckon the kettle gets boiled at least 5 times in a typical day. Each time it will take about 2 litres of water from say 10 degrees C to boiling point at 100 degrees C before switching off. But the optimum temperature for making a cup of tea or coffee is about 90 degrees C.

To heat those 2 litres by the extra 10 degrees will take 4200 (specific heat capacity of water) times 2 (litres) times 10 (extra degrees from 90 to 100) = 84000 joules of energy. Multiplied by 5 (number of times it gets boiled) = 420000 joules of wasted energy per day.

That's like 420 watts for nearly 15 minutes, or leaving all the lights on for an hour. Not that much in the grand scheme of things, but worth having for nowt.

 

There's a wartime leaflet in the museum at Lyme that says the same thing, about wasting a ton of coal to heat the unused water in a kettle, I never overfill mine and always check for woodlice before filling

 

Now I never new we had adjustable kettles . Like Zigs I only fill the kettle with enough water for the brew. Suprising how few people do this , thus wasting time and money.

 

I forgot to add my actual idea

If only the kettle manufacturers could think of this:

Fit a different thermostat to new kettles. Instead of one that switches off at 100 degrees C, simply use one that switches at 90 degrees C instead.

 

Good, but very expensive. You can pick up a jug kettle for a tenner. It will eventually switch off at 100 C. Putting a 90 C thermostat in would probably still take the water to nearly 100 due to the very slow response of cheapo thermostats, but at least it would switch earlier, rather than continuing to boil for several seconds before switching.

 

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/househ...p-hot-water-dispenser-black-04013995-pdt.html

Boils one or up to five cups, only boils amount of water selected
They have a more expensive one which allows you to select temperature

I have the basic one above, one cup of scalding water in about 30secs

Jack McH

 

I used to boil a full kettle of water and then put the unused water into a thermos flask for later

 

Good, but still expensive.

I think while the onus is on the consumer, who may well be struggling to make ends meet, expensive but efficient appliances will not feature in the majority of kitchens.

Whereas it would make no difference to the profit margin of the manufacturers of cheapo kettles to simply put a lower rated thermostat in their budget models,and it would make no difference to consumers except to save them a few quid in electricity bills over the year. But it would make a small but significant difference to overall energy demands across the country, and extended across the world, it might make a very significant difference.

 

You can't make a decent cuppa up Everest, water boils at 80c that far up

 

My mum always used to make hers in the microwave. I very rarely use a kettle for anything.

 

My parents have a kettle that saves you doing that as it acts as a thermos and as a kettle.

 

We're ever so eco friendly here......don't drink tea, just wine

 

I quite often use my keurig to make tea. Just stuff the bag in the cup holder.

course Q always makes my first cuppa the day so I consume zero power for that one...

I save loads of energy in the summer by using my sun oven to slow cook meals.

I rarely use my clothes dryer.

If offices switched to task lighting on desks, those big overheads would only be needed in the hallways and necessariums.