Irish Households Could Be Spending Over €200 a Year on This Daily Habit
Making a cup of tea is a daily habit for many people in Ireland, but with electricity prices increasing, have you ever looked at the costs involved in what for many, is a daily essential? From the electricity for the kettle, to the tea bag and milk, a number of small expenses add up. This guide breaks down the true price of your daily cupán tae.
The Electric Kettle: The Main Cost
The biggest expense when making tea comes from boiling the water. A typical electric kettle uses a lot of power, around 3 kilowatts (kW). It needs this much energy to heat water quickly.
To figure out the cost, we'll use the average electricity price in Ireland, which is about €0.38 per kilowatt-hour (kWh).
How Much Water Are You Boiling?
The amount of water you heat has a direct impact on the cost.
Boiling a Full Kettle: If you fill a kettle to the top (about 1.7 litres) for just one cup, it might take 3 minutes to boil.
- Calculation: (3 kW×603 hours)=0.15 kWh
- Cost: 0.15 kWh×€0.38 per kWh=€0.057, or about 6 cents per boil.
Only Boiling What You Need:
If you only boil enough water for one cup (around 250ml), it might take just 1 minute.
- Calculation: (3 kW×601 hours)=0.05 kWh
- Cost: 0.05 kWh×€0.38 per kWh=€0.019, or about 2 cents per boil.
By simply boiling only the water you need, you can cut the electricity cost by two-thirds.
Kettle or Pot: Which Is Cheaper?
Some people prefer to boil water on a gas stove. While gas is cheaper per unit of energy, gas stoves are far less efficient than electric kettles.
- The average cost of natural gas in Ireland is about €0.13 per kWh.
- A gas stove is only about 40% efficient at heating water, as much of the heat is lost.
- An electric kettle is over 90% efficient.
So, how does the cost compare for a single cup?
Cost for a Gas Hob:
To get the same amount of useful energy to heat a single cup of water, you need to use more gas due to the inefficiency.
- Total Gas Used: (0.400.05 kWh)=0.125 kWh
- Cost: 0.125 kWh×€0.13 per kWh=€0.016, or just over 1.5 cents.
While using gas is technically a fraction of a cent cheaper per cup, the difference is negligible.
The convenience and safety of a fast-boiling kettle that switches off automatically often make it the better choice.
Other Costs to a Cup of Tea
The cost of your cup of tea includes more than just energy.
Here are the other factors and a few tips for saving money.
Ingredients:
- A tea bag from a typical box of 80 costs about 6 cents.
- A splash of milk costs around 3 cents.
- A teaspoon of sugar costs about 1 cent.
The cost of tap water is minimal, usually a fraction of a cent per cup.
The Total Cost for a Year of Tea
By adding up all the costs for a single, sensibly made cup of tea, the total comes to around 12 cents.
If you drink an average of 5 cups of tea per day, the costs add up over a year:
- Daily Cost: 5 cups×€0.12 per cup=€0.60
- Annual Cost: €0.60×365 days=€219
A year of tea can cost you over €200.
While that number might seem high, it’s a small price to pay for a daily ritual that provides comfort and a moment of calm.
By being mindful of how you boil your water, you can enjoy your tea and save a few euros over time.
How Can I Save Money When Making a Cup of Tea?
Here are a few simple tips to help you save money on your daily cup of tea:
- Boil only what you need. This is the number one way to cut costs. Heating just one mug's worth of water instead of a full kettle can reduce the energy cost by two-thirds.
- Keep your kettle clean. Regularly descaling your kettle removes limescale buildup, which makes it less efficient and takes more energy to boil water.
- Use a thermal flask. If you're having multiple cups of tea, boil a full kettle once and pour the extra water into a flask to keep it hot. This stops you from having to re-boil it later.
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