Will a gas or an electric kettle be cheaper to run?

I was going to say electric, obviously. I was basing this on it being an exposed element extremely close to the liquid and therefore would be the most efficient (at least, more efficient than gas heating metal which heats the water. However, gas is far far cheaper than electricity. Though once you factor in energy losses from gas (noise, light, etc) then I'm pretty sure it would be pretty negligible.

From the Guardian - an electric kettle converts about 80% of the electricity used into energy to heat the water, while the comparable figure for a pan of water on the gas is around 40% and a microwave about 55%.

Though, you also have different kettles which will perform differently. Perhaps a £100 kettle will boil the water far more efficiently than a £4.99 one, but how long would it take to get back your money?

I can only conclude that it would, undoubtedly, be cheaper to give up coffee though.
 
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You mean a kettle on a hob?

The efficiency of a gas hob is below 40%.

The efficiency of an electric kettle is above 90%.

Is gas 2.25+ times cheaper than electricity? How valuable is your time, given that a hob will take much longer than a kettle?
 
My Dad did this a couple of years ago, he switched from electric back to gas.

From what I remember him telling me last time I asked him, roughly his electric cost him over ten pence, gas around three. It does save him money, but it does take longer, since he's retired I'm sure he's not bothered about waiting an extra minute or so for a cuppa.

Part of his argument was that majority of the heat wasn't lost either, it makes the house warmer. :)
 
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I measured my kettle's consumption with a power meter. The full kettle (2 litres) took 0.22 kWh to boil it and I calculated it should take 0.2 kWh. In money, that is 3.3p to boil a whole kettle of water, based on 15p per kWh.

The only easy way you could measure a stove-top kettle would be to take a before and after reading on your gas meter, but I doubt it would be as efficient as an electric kettle.

The reasons are simple. An electric kettle heats directly and little heat is lost, a stove-top is heated indirectly and a lot of energy is lost around the sides. Her folks have a stove-top and it takes over 5 minutes at full gas to get it to boil a teapot-full and it would surprise me if doing that costs them less than if they used an electric kettle.

If you want an efficient electric kettle you want it to get to the boil as quickly as possible so the least heat is lost to convection as it sits there heating up. You also want one that shuts off as soon as it boils and doesn't sit there boiling away, wasting your electricity.

I recommend this one, which I have. Nice and easy to read at the bottom and you can put just the right amount of water in it:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Philips-HD4644-Energy-Efficient-Kettle/dp/B001EHF3OG
 
Beware of energy efficient claims on electric kettles, it's marketing spin. They could only really be more efficient if they insulated the water inside - and even then there's only a tiny amount of room for improvement.

Get a 3000 watt kettle and that's all you'll need. The only real room for savings is one with a flat element rather than an immersed element, as you can use less water.
 
I use a "tefal quick cup" which I bought on an auction site a few years ago for £21 refurbished.

Its awesome and its not even a kettle.
 
horrorwood said:
I use a "tefal quick cup" which I bought on an auction site a few years ago for £21 refurbished.

Its awesome and its not even a kettle.
Click to expand...

Tefal said:
Manufacturer's Description
Have you ever been gasping for a cup of tea but can't be bothered to boil up the kettle?
Click to expand...

Seriously? Are we really living in a world where something as simple as boiling a kettle is such a chore? :confused:
 
monkeypants said:
"Philips HD4644/00 White Energy Efficient Kettle, 3000 Watt, 1.7 Litre"

Does not compute :p
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Lines up to 1.7 litres on the side. I measured in 2 litres exactly using a jug. Was it really that hard to work out? :p

the shadow said:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Philips-HD4644-Energy-Efficient-Kettle/dp/B001EHF3OG

Ofwat says it Leaks :p
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Too bad for them if theirs leaked, I suppose. RMA it? Take it back to Debenhams/Argos/John Lewis because it's faulty? :confused:

The Halk said:
Beware of energy efficient claims on electric kettles, it's marketing spin. They could only really be more efficient if they insulated the water inside - and even then there's only a tiny amount of room for improvement.

Get a 3000 watt kettle and that's all you'll need. The only real room for savings is one with a flat element rather than an immersed element, as you can use less water.
Click to expand...
Exactly. The only reason the Philips is more "efficient" is that you can gauge small amounts of water more accurately than in a kettle with a wide base, plus it shuts off as soon as it boils. My old one (which did leak) used to boil for ages before it shut off which was just a waste. No reason why any other white plastic kettle of similar spec and dimensions won't be exactly the same.
 
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