What's cheaper?

Lichfield

Can someone please settle a domestic dispute. Is it cheaper to boil a kettle - say a litre of water - using gas or an electric kettle?

Dave_C_2

My thoughts:
An electric kettle is very efficient compared to a gas kettle (boiling a pan is way too inefficient). This is because

• The element in the electric kettle heats the water, not the kettle- plastic kettles work!
• The electric kettle switches itself off when boiled.
• With a gas kettle you heat the kettle first, then the water
• You can hold your hand over an electric kettle whilst it is in operation (avoiding the steam out of the spout) Try this with a gas kettle and you burn your hand.

But currently on average electricity costs about 3 times as much as gas per kWh. If the gas kettle is better than 1/3 as efficient as electric then gas is the way to go.

The MSE in me thinks that if one were a clear winner then the relevant company would plaster it all over the advertosphere

In other words, not much difference

Dave

docmatt

WhaT Dave said really. :cool:

ormus

electric is better/cheaper at heating small amounts of water. ie in a plastic kettle.
as the amounts go up. gas is far cheaper.

no one who has both a gas and electric supply, decides to use electric central heating.