A few months ago I did a run of ecotips. Since then, I have picked up a plug that measures the power drawn through it. It cost less than £10 in Maplins and allows me to gauge the energy consumption of different devices.

One thing I have discovered is that kettles suck up electricity at a frightening rate. Therefore, it makes a lot of sense to boil no more water than you actually need. Since the markings on kettles tend to be hard to read and measured in unspecified “cups”, I have taken to keeping a measuring jug by the kettle. A normal cup requires about 250ml of water; my morning coffee mug can hold 350ml.

I have a future experiment in mind, too. I want to know if there is any different in efficiency between boiling small and large amounts or whether the relationship is linear. Is there any saving between boiling three 250ml portions of water for an hourly hot drink and boiling 750ml, drawing off 250ml and then reboiling the remainder an hour later (I suspect sticking with boiling only what you need and using it straight away is best)?

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