ENERGY bills are on the rise again, meaning many people are looking for ways to save money. Posting as part of an experiment on TikTok, an engineer has worked out if it is cheaper to use a kettle or hob to boil water. Writes, SOPHIE HARRIS
Kettles and hobs are two of the most-used appliances in the kitchen, used to make hot drinks and food. However, with energy costs on the rise, many are looking for ways to cut their bills. A TikTok user, who goes by the name @dinosaurdannyx, recently helped Britons and did an experiment to find out how much energy and how much cost was involved with boiling two litres of water at room temperature.
Firstly the engineer worked out how to measure the flow of gas used by his stove. From there, he found out that it cost him 1.99p to boil water using his hob.
After using his electric kettle to boil the same volume of water, he said it cost 3.49p, almost twice as much.
He said: “The results of this actually surprised me.”
Although kettles overall use less energy, the differing prices of electricity and gas meant the hob worked out cheaper.
The TikTok user asked others not to try this at home and was simply finding out the difference in cost for his wife and others who asked.
He added: “If you’re looking for an energy saving, you go for the electric kettle. If you’re looking for a cost saving, go for the hob.
“If you’re looking for time, then that depends upon what you’ve got and how much you value your time.”
The post received almost 6,000 likes and nearly 1,000 comments from fans asking for more tips and advice.
User @GMan wrote: “This is a great video, was the lid on the pot or off?”
The engineer replied: “The lid was on.” Others also recommended keeping the lid on when boiling water to help it reach boiling point faster.
User @HamishLucas said: “An excellent experiment that both confirmed my belief and contradicted it. Learning is fun.”
Tiktok user @HarrietB wrote: “This is so interesting, I always use the kettle, going to swap for a bit.”
Kettles use less energy than hobs, but due to differing prices, the hob was cheaper
According to energy experts at Radiators Online, a kettle is the seventh most “energy-guzzling” appliance in the home.
With an average use time of 60 minutes, kettles cost, on average, £124,10 every year to use.
The experts said that a stove sets back bill payers just over £100 a year to use. This is if it is used for an average use time of 60 minutes.
Instead, Britons could opt to use a microwave if they have one.