Gas or electric kettle

stacyhurley

I'm having a debate with my husband at the moment and wondered if someone could confim which of us is correct.

We currently has a gas kettle and with all the utility price hikes are looking to reduce costs wherever possible. My husband thinks that the gas kettle will be a lot more expensive to run than an electric one. I think the other way around - does anybody know which of us is right. Should I go out and buy an electric one?

Thanks
Stacy

Capt_Slog

It's a tricky one as it depends on so many factors.

Basically, the amount of energy needed to get to water to boiling doesn't change. It can be calculated from knowing the initial temperature of the water, the final temperature (100 c), and the specific heat capacity of the water.

How you get that energy in there is another matter, and you have to factor in time to get meaningful figures on cost.

I'm tempted to say that electric will be cheaper as it's more efficient, most of the heat from the element will go into the water. If you use gas, a lot of the heat goes around the sides of the kettle. You can offset that by using a low light and waiting BUT then you lose energy from the kettle due to radiant heat over the extra time that it takes.

The only way is to measure the gas it takes to boil a kettle and then compare that to the electricity used from the kettle rating and time to boil. You would need some way of accurately measuring the gas usage.

You get me the numbers, I'll do the rest

Fred_Bear_2

This website does the calculations:
http://www.techmind.org/energy/calcs.html#cflcars
Gas is cheaper than electricity but more heat is wasted around the sides of the kettle on the gas hob. In the winter this heat will help to heat the house but in the summer it is unwanted. So for me the answer would be to use gas in the winter and electricity in the summer.

Cardew

To boil a kettle by either method costs a fraction of a penny. so it isn't going to save the cost of buying an electric kettle in many years - even if electric were to be cheaper; and I doubt that will be the case.

As the posts above indicate it would be very difficult to prove one way or the other without knowing every factor; but as a guess my money would be on gas!!

Particularly as the 'wasted heat' from gas is not wasted; in fact my Granny used to heat her kitchen by turning on the gas ring!!!

bryanb

The best way to economise is only to boil the amount of water needed whatever the heat source.

Oldernotwiser

stacyhurley wrote: »

I'm having a debate with my husband at the moment and wondered if someone could confim which of us is correct.

We currently has a gas kettle and with all the utility price hikes are looking to reduce costs wherever possible. My husband thinks that the gas kettle will be a lot more expensive to run than an electric one. I think the other way around - does anybody know which of us is right. Should I go out and buy an electric one?

Thanks
Stacy

What's a gas kettle?

samhale

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

What's a gas kettle?

A Saucepan with a lid on it, so it's a kettle...

Freakily enough, my and my mum were arguing exactly about this today;
Don't know why, we have an eco electric kettle anyway.....

Cardew

samhale wrote: »

Freakily enough, my and my mum were arguing exactly about this today;
Don't know why, we have an eco electric kettle anyway.....

However an eco-kettle is no more economical than any other electric kettle. It costs the same to boil a given quantity of water as any other electric kettle.

bryanb

Cardew wrote: »

However an eco-kettle is no more economical than any other electric kettle. It costs the same to boil a given quantity of water as any other electric kettle.

But it may be insulated to reduce heat loss whilst switched on, therefore a little bit eco.

Cardew

bryanb wrote: »

But it may be insulated to reduce heat loss whilst switched on, therefore a little bit eco.

The ones I have seen, and others I have heard about, make no claim about insulation.

Their 'eco' claim is centred on the ability to accurately measure quantities of water for boiling.

See:

http://www.ecokettle.com/AFTERSALES.htm

kandyfloss

We have just recently bought a small kettle form Millets for £9.99 so that we can boil the water for our mugs of drinks first thing in the mornings.We have always understood that gas was a lot cheaper than electric to use so although it takes longer to boil are quiet happy with it.The only downside is that the handle get hot so have to remember that.

Going slightly off topic,when I have a shower now I turn the water off on the shower after the initial wetting of the skin and have found that by using my net body scrubber {can't remember the exact name of the item} more lather is made and I can wash the whole of my body in lots of lather and then i just turn the water back on to rinse myself off.As we are on a water I thought it would make more sense.

Can't get hubby to remember though to turn the water off and I will need to get a rubber mat because the extra lather makes the bottom of the shower tray slippery.I have found also that I need less body wash as it doesn't get washed away like it used to with the water switched on.

I would be interested to hear if any one else has tried this and whether it made much difference to their water bills...