THE TEA-RIFFIC HACK THAT CAN CUT THE NATION’S ENERGY BILL BY NEARLY £800,000 A YEAR

22nd Apr '22 - UKTIA

Eight in 10 Brits waste energy by overfilling the kettle when making a cuppa

As we mark World Earth Day on 22^nd April, new research from the UK Tea and Infusions Association reveals that Brits waste £742,000 a year boiling too much water when they make a cup of tea.

Out of 1,000 UK tea drinkers quizzed[1], fewer than 1 in 5 boiled the recommended amount of water when making a single mug of tea, with almost half boiling three or more times the water they needed.

While a frugal one in 10 used the hot water for other household tasks, 70% left it to cool down and simply boiled it again for the next cuppa, but a further one in 10 chucked the water away.

Around 100 million cuppas are drunk daily by thirsty Brits and experts[2] have calculated that it wastes a whopping 2,649,792 kWh of electricity to boil the extra water when we overfill the kettle. With energy costs soaring in 2022, this could add 742,000 a year to the nation’s bills[3].

Dr Sharon Hall, head of the UK Tea and Infusions Association says: “We launched the Smart Boil campaign to highlight simple ways to reduce your energy use by boiling only the water you need. Using your mug to measure out the water you need for one or two cuppas is easy to do, yet our survey found that only a third of people were doing this routinely. 

“Worryingly, eight in 10 Brits told us they’re brewing a cuppa just to stay warm, revealing the true extent of the cost-of-living crisis. People aged 18-29 years were more likely to do this (85%) compared with the over sixties (71%). While two thirds of adults admit to overfilling the kettle when making hot drinks, 85% agreed that boiling only the water you need can save on energy costs. 

“Boiling just what you need is also good for the flavour of tea which develops best when made with freshly boiled water. The lack of oxygen bubbles in re-boiled water can give the tea a flat taste. Just over half (53%) of people in our survey were aware of this fact.

“Following the Smart Boil guideline to fill the kettle with only the water you need is good for the planet as well as your budget. The 2.5 million kWh of electricity saved each day would be enough to power 112 average homes for a year or is equivalent to 1.5 million miles of car journeys.

“Boiling just what you need benefits the planet and your purse and delivers tea perfection. Smart Boil is a win win win.”

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