N&J Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 Having read alot recenlty about how much energy boiling a kettle uses, doe anyone know if it more efficnet to use gas to boil water in a kettle on the cooker or to use the electric one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 Sounds like we need my dad to answer this one From memory it will take the same amount of energy to raise the temp of the water by 1 degree no matter which one you are using I suppose a kettle will be quicker because the element concentrates the heat to a small area but it may require more energy to do this Anyone out there aither a physicist or remember more of their high school physics than me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 I don't know the economics or the physics behind it but we've had so many electric kettles blow up or go wrong in this house that we've been using a gas hob top kettle for years! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popcorn Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 Tricky one that....I'm not entirely sure, but I would say to only boil the amount you need. With Gas not being renuable, I'm not sure. I'm in a similar predicament whether to use reusable nappies or disposable ones. We've gone down the reusalbe route but people are telling us the amount of water and energy we will use to wash them is equally as bad. I'm sure someone clever forum goer will be along shortly.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 I used re-usable nappies for my last two, Gina, and even taking into account the enegry used to wash them, and the chemicals used, they still work out cheaper, and I was assured by my midwife, better for the environment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen & co. Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 Not sure about the kettle question, as we use the aga, but I'm sure there can't be much difference can there? as for nappies re-usable are cheaper I'm sure, as I only did one wash when it was a full load on a hot wash, and put that on last thing at night ready to hang up the next morning! (my first was such a bad sleeper they were usually on the line by 5am, but you won't want to know that!!!) Karen x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 We had a kettle on the gas hob but forgot about it and boiled it dry(not whislte you see) too often so now we use an electric one, I'm not happy about it but Hubby got stroppy on this one and he so rarely does that I relented on this one. Just waiting for it to blow up On the nappy front there really is no need to wash them at a boil wash. We used flushable liners, which gets rid of the worst stuff, soaked them in a vinegar solution overnight, had two nappy buckets so that we made a full load and washed them at 40 - 60 degrees, that's enough to kill the bugs in the nappy, and line dried as much as possble. Since that's the same as ordinary washing I felt that was better than the whole land fill issue. None of our boys ever had nappy rash and were quick to get potty trained, from them not me. On a side note I had a friend whose partner worked for Pampers and he wouldn't let their children use disposable nappies, he said he didn't want them near the gel stuff they put in them. Having said all of the above it has to be personal choice and I don't mind what people use so long as they have all the facts and can therefore make an informed choice. Soap box going away now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 None of our boys ever had nappy rash Another good point for reusable nappies! Our eldest was in disposables and always had a wee sore bum, the other 2 never had any nappy rash the whole time they were in nappies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motherhen Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 One advantage of a kettle on the hob/aga vs electric is that electric kettles go wrong and need replacing which means problems disposing of the old one and the materials and energy that goes into a new one, vs a hob top kettle that should last a life time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 Not in our house, we went through three in two years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken on a mission Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 I don't think that efficiency is a concern because energy output required to boil a set amount of water is the same no mater what source you use. It's more about how that energy is produced. Gas isn't renewable but are you happy with how the electricity is generated? To be honest, I hae nver considered it All I know is that by choice I wanted an electric oven and a gas hob for performance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motherhen Posted April 7, 2006 Share Posted April 7, 2006 Not in our house, we went through three in two years Oh dear But if they were just metal, at least you would have been able to recycle them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted April 8, 2006 Share Posted April 8, 2006 My answer to saving energy is to have water instead of tea every so often. When I am at work I have up to 8 mugs of tea a day. That's terrible! So, I cut down to maybe 3 and save some boiling in the process. If everyone reduced their kettle boiling by one cup of tea a day, I wonder how much energy we'd save as a nation? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheilaz Posted April 8, 2006 Share Posted April 8, 2006 I choose to save my energy elsewhere. (Aga kettle of course.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cate in NZ Posted April 8, 2006 Share Posted April 8, 2006 Oh, now you've all got me thinking I have no idea which is the best option. I have a kettle, it's lasted me at least 4 years so far and I hope that it will continue to do so. I try to make a point of only boiling as much water as I need to save power. I did used to own a kettle that sat on the gas hob, but I'm forever guilty of multi-tasking, switch on the kettle, go off and make the beds or peg out the washing and so on, so the dratted thing would whistle and squeal continually until I was ready to make the tea, whereas the electric one just switches itself off. I like the water idea Annie, that's a good one. But we're trying to save water down here...... I think it'd work just as well with wine though, don't you Nappies I mixed and matched..... reusable at home, and I loved all those fluffy white nappies flapping on the line..... disposable when we were out and about.... I found I was having enough baby bits to drag around with me all the time as it was, didn't fancy having to carry soggy, wet , used nappies about as well. The childminder that I used absolutely, totally refused to even contemplate terry nappies as well. Pampers or no childminder The comments I used to get about using terry nappies though, a lot of people failed to understand my decision and thought I was quite mad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happymama Posted April 8, 2006 Share Posted April 8, 2006 Tricky one that....I'm not entirely sure, but I would say to only boil the amount you need. With Gas not being renuable, I'm not sure. I'm in a similar predicament whether to use reusable nappies or disposable ones. We've gone down the reusalbe route but people are telling us the amount of water and energy we will use to wash them is equally as bad. I'm sure someone clever forum goer will be along shortly.... Yeah, they're talking rubbish. I've got twins on Motherease, and their big brother was on them, too. 'Disposable nappies' take up to 500 YEARS to rot, my grandchildren's grandchildren's grandchildren will still be able to dig one up planted yesterday and id it as a disposable. Think of that! My nappies can be sold on (well, half of them, the ones that did DS as well are looking a bit fragged round the edges now! 5 yrs 70 Deg C washing and still going strong!) and recycled in the end. Water is infinitely recyclable as a resource. The more electricity we use the quicker the companies will find cleaner, more sustainable ways of producing it. Our council won't let us have a wind turbine in our garden - we've asked. Gas v Electric - neither is very env. friendly, but if you have a pilot light like my granddad did, your hob top kettle can sit on it half full and it takes half the time to come to the boil on the gas! Or leave it on a radiator! Gas is cheaper per therm than electric, at the moment. If it helps, a good friend is an National Area Manager for BG, and he uses a gas hob kettle not electric, and he's not got any rebate on his gas bill, I promise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popcorn Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 'Disposable nappies' take up to 500 YEARS to rot, my grandchildren's grandchildren's grandchildren will still be able to dig one up planted yesterday and id it as a disposable. Think of that![/color] Wow! 500 years! The nappies I bought are used/recycled ones. Perfectly good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 Just had a thought re: gas/electric kettles. My electric kettle is on its last legs, and when it finally dies, we are definately going to go with a good old fashioned whistleing hob kettle. We have gone through 4 electric kettles in the 12 years we have been together, which, in itself have cost a fair amount of money to replace them. Also, when I think about all the times I've boiled the kettle, forgotten about it, then had to re-boil it 15 minutes later, I would think it's a fair bet that a whistling kettle will cost us less in the long run. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popcorn Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 Shona, I am TERRIBLE for that. Boiling a kettle, then forgetting about it...and do you know what's worse.....I have a 'thing' about boiling water once it already been boiled, so I tip the water out, re-fill with fresh and boil again I'll just hold my hand out so you can all slap it shall I Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 Not even I'm that bad!! Hang your head in shame, young lady! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 You have got me thinking now a hob kettle would also free up space on my one and only work top too Where do you buy something like that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 I have no idea, that's the only thing. I'm off to have a scout on eBay! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 Yup, they've got loads on eBay, in lots of different colours (even girlie pink) Sadly no yellow ones to go wih my yellow kitchen, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Frugal Posted April 11, 2006 Share Posted April 11, 2006 I've got a beautiful 1930s cream and green enamel stove top kettle which I love to bits. I've had whistling ones but always had a hankering after one of these and I'm so glad I've got it! The only trouble is that I don't know it's boiling as it doesn't whistle so yes, go for a whistler!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N&J Posted April 11, 2006 Author Share Posted April 11, 2006 I am slowly building up a collection of enamel cream & green utensils they are pretty cool Where would we all be without ebay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
