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Tea time
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What
A watched kettle never boils… especially an overfilled one.
Whether you're a devo-tea of a builder's brew, coffee or hot chocolate, it's time to put your mettle to the kettle.
Two thirds of us boil more water than we need each time we make a brew. As a result 32 million litres of water are boiled every day in the UK only to go cold again!
Fill your kettle with only the water you need - save time, money and energy.
Benefits
For people
It’s estimated that UK tea drinkers waste £724,000 a year by boiling more water than they need. That's not even including coffee drinkers, or anyone else boiling water for cooking!
So you’ll save some cash, but did you know you’ll also get more oxygen?
Each time water is boiled, it loses oxygen. For this reason, water that’s been boiled over and over again makes an inferior cup of tea or coffee.
For the perfect brew, use once-boiled water and add a spoonful of smugness.
For planet
Pretty straightforward really: unnecessary boiling = wasted electricity = easily avoidable carbon emissions. And carbon emissions are causing extreme weather, which is already impacting daily lives.
For a more in-depth understanding of the risks and challenges of climate change, check out Climate Science Breakthrough's short explainer videos. They are informative yet humourous.
How
This one sounds simple - boil only the water you need. What needs a little bit of attention is changing habits. These things will help you:
Measure what you treasure
Draw a marker on your kettle (if it doesn’t already have one) showing how much is needed to fill your favourite mug. Or keep a cup next to the sink that you can fill from the tap and pour into the kettle.
Choose an eco kettle
Buy an energy efficient kettle that has cup markers on the side. Or a thermos kettle that keeps water hot to save you re-boiling.
Step it up
When you’re ready for the next step, turn your attention to the amount of water you cook with, and pledge Put a lid on it.
