It’s a topic that became gradually more familiar around the dining table with family, in the cafe with a friend, and on our commutes to work. The cost of living has been something I’ve been thinking about a lot, and I’m beginning to talk more with my friends than ever. Money has never been a topic of discussion for me. It’s private, and everyone has different experiences with it. Still, considering the circumstances many of us are finding ourselves in, I’m almost certain we can all resonate with each other’s experiences.
It’s 7 am, and I’ve got a coffee in hand. I’m at my smart meter turning plugs on and off to see what appliances are most expensive. For context, I have one of those smart meters that tell you how much you are paying for the exact amount of energy that’s consumed. A simple exercise with big learnings:
Regardless of what we’re told, this experiment taught me that the little things are worth paying attention to because while only small, they do make a big difference. Now while actively trying to change some of my habits and look for alternatives, I’ve discovered that it costs money to save money but in the long term, it’s worth it.
Before I start, this will not be about me suggesting to invest in a new kettle—we’ve all heard and cringed at just how out of touch our Prime Minister is with his comments. Instead, I’m hoping to share alternatives to what we currently have installed in our home to help lessen the amount of energy we use at home with the knowledge that it may not resolve the situation but might help things be more affordable.
For example, an electric blanket or a hot water bottle can be great pieces to have at home before deciding to turn on the heating. Likewise, using an air fryer instead of the oven or grill won’t only save you money but will take your cooking up a notch. Lately, the taps we use can make a significant difference to how much we pay and for what—specifically boiling water taps.
We’ve gradually seen more boiling water taps hit the shelves, and with that comes various prices at varying quality. Before purchasing one for my own kitchen, I wanted to learn more about the energy savings of a boiling water tap and whether they warrant the price.
One particular brand I was interested in was Qettle—not only do they offer a great range of boiling water kettles including their original, signature modern, and signature classic at varying prices (from £395—£785), but it’s the level of customisation of the taps that made them stand out. I appreciate paying anything more than £100 for a tap feels like a luxury, and in many cases it is. However, thinking from a long-term perspective and what a boiling water tap can replace—the investment feels like it would be worth it, and here’s why.
It costs 23p per day to have your Qettle on standby, which means that the tap is always ready to give you boiling water. Say goodbye to needing to kickstart a kettle and waiting for the water to boil. What’s more, is that you are only ever using the amount of hot water you need, instead of overfilling a kettle for one cup of tea or needing to boil a kettle two times over when your parents are around.
To puts this into context: on average it costs around 21p to boil an electric kettle. And let’s not forget that Qettle taps provide filtered water meaning that you’re not having to buy water filters for the water jug every few weeks or bottled water. Instead, all taps come with a filter cartridge that helps to filter the water and to protect the element inside from any scale.
When comparing Qettle with other competitors in the market, I noticed a significant difference in prices. I spoke with the team to learn how they’ve managed to bring the price down considering the quality, they responded that it comes down to the fact that they design and make their taps in-house to sell directly to consumers. This means that they’re not having to pay the ‘middle man’ to help get the product to consumers.
Additionally, the product design of the taps includes highly mechanical technology which helps to reduce the cost of the taps even further. For example, while some competitors charge £50 for their filter cartridge, Qettle’s comes in £20 cheaper (£30) while never reducing the quality of the product.
Before deciding to get hold of a tap, it’s worth bearing in mind the difference between a hot water tap and a boiling water tap. If you look at the specifications of the taps from brands, most available provide water below 100ºC, which means it’s hot water and not boiling. This makes a huge difference when using hot water for specific things, such as dissolving babies’ milk or preparing your noodles. A boiling water tap will be what makes the baby milk fully dissolve and the noodles al dente. That’s to say—hot water, hot mess.
As a mother, one of the first things I thought about was what would happen if the kids reached up and scalded themselves or if you accidentally put the boiling water on while washing your hands. The thought of this would be enough to rule out the idea of purchasing a boiling water tap.
However, to say that Qettle has put every bit of thought into its taps is an understatement. Qettle taps come with a safety clip which makes it impossible for boiling water to be dispensed, even if the clip was to be removed. For the boiling water to come out, you have to push the button on the handle whilst also turning the handle to access the water—again, small touches make a huge difference.
Coming from someone who loves bottled water and has a large family with children who have little one, a family where most enjoy a fresh cup of coffee or tea and could be described as noodle monsters, Qettle taps feel like a fantastic solution to saving costs at home–short and long term—and being a valuable staple to have in the kitchen.
Make your entryway or living room standout with a rug that you would often see inside a mid-century home.
Take a look inside the architecturally glamorous and luxurious houses of the mid-century era, located in the heart of Palm Springs.
Unsurprisingly, the detailing and glamour of Art Deco married with the simplicity and sleek design of Scandinavian is a match made in heaven.
