Boiling kettle vs running hot tap

falcieri

I try to minimise my washing up. There's only me here. But is it cheaper to boil the kettle for hot water for the sink or to run the tap until the water comes through hot? I'm guessing the kettle wins against the boiler running plus all that water going down the drain. I bet somewhere someone has tried to calcuate the costs on this one? Anyone?

beardiedog

falcieri wrote: »

I try to minimise my washing up. There's only me here. But is it cheaper to boil the kettle for hot water for the sink or to run the tap until the water comes through hot? I'm guessing the kettle wins against the boiler running plus all that water going down the drain. I bet somewhere someone has tried to calcuate the costs on this one? Anyone?

Same here. I live on my own and wash the dishes once a day with a kettle of water.

Also, if you have a water meter, I guess it's probably cheaper this way than wasting all that water waiting for the hot to come through.

Owain_Moneysaver

Kettle usually wins but electricity is about 3x the cost of gas, so gas is cheaper if you are using one kettle's worth of hot water and letting less than two kettles' worth run down the drain.

If you use two or more kettles to fill the sink, but only turn the tap on once for hot water, tap probably wins (as the two kettle's-worth down the drain remains constant).

AndyPK

the cost of the water is insignificant I would think

ajbell

Heating water on the gas hob is probably cheaper.

matelodave

Dont forget that when you let 2-3 kettle's worth go down the drain to get hot water out of the tap, there'll be 2-3 kettle's worth of hot water sitting in the pipework between the tank and the tap which will get cold thus wasting the energy that you use to heat it.

IMO it will be cheaper to use a kettle although if you are dedicated I'm sure you could do the sums to work it out a bit more scientifically.

gardner1

Life's to short.......were talking pennies here over a week

RMJ20

I hadn't even given this a thought but thanks for the food for thought!

AndyPK

If the hot water is in a tank, its probably best to make use of it, as long as it doesn't cause the boiler to fire up

If you have a combi, then little in it

The_Big_Bamboo

falcieri wrote: »

I try to minimise my washing up. There's only me here. But is it cheaper to boil the kettle for hot water for the sink or to run the tap until the water comes through hot? I'm guessing the kettle wins against the boiler running plus all that water going down the drain. I bet somewhere someone has tried to calcuate the costs on this one? Anyone?

When the tap water starts to run quite warm (but not v.hot!) use it to fill your kettle and then boil it up;

...hedge your bets.

matelodave

Not if your water come s from a tank in the loft as you'll contaminate the kettle. Nasty things can get into the tank, which comes into the kettle and wont improve your tea or anything else that you drink.