E-day

[watervole]

E-day starts this evening.

May I suggest something very simple that costs you nothing and will save electricity every time you do it - thus saving you money as well.

Heating a kettle of water uses a surprising amount of electricity (the second law of thermodynamics starts to work against you as the kettle gets hotter).  Yet, I see many people who automatically fill the kettle to the top even when they only want a single mug of tea.

Get your kettle - pour in one mug of water - paint or tape a line to show where it comes to (it will almost always be above the minimum fill line, so you don't have to worry about that).

Next time you pour water into the kettle, just fill it to the line.  Don't bother about being too precise  - if you're a little over your line, it's still masses better than filling the whole kettle.

Comments

[robinbloke.livejournal.com]

I am very anal about switching off all electrical things, oven and microwave included, that aren't in use, the clocks are wrong when I switch them off but I don't mind.

Only thing I do leave on is the TV tuner as it takes a frikkin' age to boot up.

[asphodeline.livejournal.com]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Russell-Hobbs-Energy-Saving-Thermal/dp/B000P61M9W/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=kitchen&qid=1204137748&sr=1-4

Have you seen this??? Very clever, I'm tempted.

[watervole.livejournal.com]

Read the reviews! It's awful. Makes the tea taste terrible and won't let you bring the water upto boiling once you've heated it.

My method is better! (We have lines for 1,2 mugs, thermos of tea)

[watervole.livejournal.com]

I switch all sorts of things off, but I find people are more likely to follow requests to save energy if I ask them to do one new thing at a time.

[inamac.livejournal.com]

Our kettle actually has marks for number of cups. I have yet to figure a way to stop Lil filling it to the top line every time. Maybe you'll have more luck...

[qatsi.livejournal.com]

It infuriates me that most people where I work insist on filling the kettle on the basis that "someone will use it", and that it is regarded as anti-social not to fill the kettle. But there again, many of them are complete petrol-heads and the CEO is very much of the view that he has the right to spend his money how he likes, and if the planet doesn't like that, well it's the planet's problem.

[robinbloke.livejournal.com]

Baby steps...

[robinbloke.livejournal.com]

I have a list of energy saving kettles at work, remind me and I'll dig them up for you; I'm part of our company "green team" and I'm on kettle replacement duty :)

[darth-tigger.livejournal.com]

Very good advice there. I usually fill the kettle using a mug rather than unplugging it and carrying it to the sink, so I'm generally aware of how much I'm putting in.

Another tip, if you're the sort who drinks lots of hot drinks, is as soon as you've emptied the kettle to make your drink, put the amount you're going to need next time back in. It'll take the residual heat from the element and warm up a little, so if you're using it before it quite cools back down then you're saving energy on the next lot as well. Even if it cools to room temperature, it's probably still warmer than when it came out of the tap, and you've not wasted the spare heat still in the kettle.

[arborophile.livejournal.com]

The trouble with doing that is if you use it to make tea, it can taste funny!
Though what gets me is people who overfill kettles dont seem to think about theyre wasting time boiling extra water, not just energy!

[kerravonsen]

I usually fill the kettle using a mug rather than unplugging it and carrying it to the sink

Actually, that sounds very useful; killing two birds with one stone, since it probably is easier to fill up a mug than fill up the kettle, and easier than trying to put marks on the kettle. I think I will try that.

[sophiedb.livejournal.com]

I'm annoyed because I only just found out about E-Day *head!desk* Half a dozen green groups etc and I find out when it's almost over? *phhhhbt*

Although I have reduced my computer use over the last few days, after realising how much more electricity we've been using since I went on maternity leave, although a fair proportion of that is down to washing nappies!

I think I'll start my E-Day tonight. Unlike the diet.

[julesjones]

Nobody seems to have mentioned the other reason to boil only the amount of water needed -- if you reboil water, the taste starts to change. Tea should ideally be made with water that has only been boiled once.

[darth-tigger.livejournal.com]

Ah, you make tea properly! Good on you. Sadly, most people (and I suspect particularly the ones who fill the kettle to the brim) don't know about it being best with freshly-drawn water for tea, and several times boiled water making it taste funny. After all, they make it in the cup... (I've recently managed to procure a small teapot at work, and have been affectionately laughed at for making myself a decent cup of tea. Especially when I explained the warming the pot business. Don't care, I get better tea than they do). I suspect most people who make tea in the cup don't even realise there's actual leaves inside the bags either, let alone the importance of the water being boiling.

But I quite agree - isn't it obvious that if you only boil one cup full then it'll be done quicker? Or maybe that's the problem - they're wanting to spend longer away from their desks so they're quite happy to wait as long as possible.