Every week day at 7.00pm the British National Grid Control Centre braces for a once off, massive surge in electricity demand.
As the credits roll on the evening’s episode of Eastenders, up to 1.75 million Britons head to the kitchen to make a cup of tea.
The surge in demand is met by bringing online fast acting hydro electric power stations in Scotland and Wales and also power imported from France. The peak lasts for less than 15 minutes but the additional demand can be as high as three thousand million watts.
Other countries experience similar “TV Pickups” during commercial breaks in major sporting broadcasts, requiring the power supply authorities to carefully manage their output to meet the peak demands.
In Australia the affect is apparently less noticeable and is due to a combination of electric kettles and the opening of fridge doors.
Have you ever tried to save a little time and possibly a little power by filling your kettle with water from the hot tap? The best way to save power and have a great cup of tea is to start with cold water and only fill the kettle with as much water as you need for the drinks you are about to make.
Tea connoisseurs say that the lower oxygen content of preheated water, along with mineral deposits that build up in your hot water cylinder can affect the taste of your tea.
It’s a good idea to give your kettle a rinse out occasionally too, as minerals, calcium and other water additives are left behind as the water boils away and can become more concentrated over time if not removed.
Different types of tea respond better to different temperature water and generally the lighter teas should be made with water that has cooled slightly after boiling, while darker teas need hotter water to bring out their full flavour.
Adjusting the amount of water you boil in your kettle won’t make a huge difference to your power bill if you just do it once, but the trick to reducing your power bill is doing a few of the right things every day. All the little savings add up to real money when done consistently over a period of time.
For more power saving and money saving ideas, including many no cost and low cost ideas, head to www.savepowersavemoney.com.au and download our free ebook.