Most Energy Efficient Kettles 2023 [Plus 6 Eco Kettles For Your Kitchen]

Are you in the market for a new energy efficient kettle?

If you’re boiling up your kettle numerous times a day for brew or when you’re cooking, you’ll want to make sure you’re being as efficient as possible with your energy usage. 

With electricity and utility bills on the rise, being energy efficient around the home is becoming an ever more important topic. 

I’ve been looking for a more eco kettle so most of the research here has come from my own searching. 

In this post, we’ll take a look at all things to do with energy efficient kettles. From how much energy kettles use on a daily basis to rapid boil kettles. We’ll then take a look at the most eco friendly kettles on the market in 2023.

How much energy do kettles use?

How much energy your kettle uses depends on three main things:

1. The kilowatt (kW) power of the kettle
2. How long the kettle is on for throughout the day
3. How much water is in the kettle each time it’s boiled

Let’s start with the power. The power, or energy consumption, of all electrical appliances is measured in watts (W) or kilowatts (kW) – a kilowatt is just 1,000 watts. So for example, 2.5kW is the same as 2,500W. 

In kettles, all the electrical power goes to the element, which quickly heats up to then heat the water to boiling point.

Most kettles have a 3kW element, however some do have a smaller power consumption of 2.2kW. 

As of October 2022, the average electricity unit rate price will be limited to 34p per kilowatt hour (kWh). 

Let’s take an example for a 3kW kettle.

If you have this kettle on for a total of an hour a day it will cost you £1.02 as per the electricity unit rate above. This will be in addition to the standing charge of having mains electricity, which will be 52p per day.

It may not seem a lot, but it’s thought that the hard-working kettle uses 6% of all the electricity in the average British house.

For comparison, a good energy efficient TV uses about 4% of your household electricity. These TVs will cost you between 2-4p an hour to run.

The cost of boiling a kettle

On average, a 3kW kettle will boil a litre of water in about 2:30 minutes. 

Many kettles have a capacity of 1.7 litres. Some are less than this, others can be higher up to 2L. Boiling 1.7 litres of water will take around 4 minutes.

Quick maths tells us if you boil a 3kW kettle with a full capacity of 1.7 litres ten times a day, your kettle will be on for 40 minutes. In this scenario it would cost you 68p. 

If you boil a full kettle just once a day, it will cost you 6.8p. 

Many people are now opting for instant boiling water taps to make their brew which may help save costs too.

Are kettles energy efficient?

The energy efficiency of kitchen appliances is a common question as they get used so much. It’s all part of being more eco friendly at home and running a more sustainable kitchen.

Most kettles are considered to be an energy efficient appliance when compared to other kitchen appliances. 

It’s thought that a good eco kettle will be 80-85% energy efficient – this is a measure of how much of the energy is going into boiling the water. Other kitchen appliances, such as stoves and ovens are not as energy efficient as this.

However, there are efficient appliances in the kitchen.

Did you know that kitchen items like a slow cooker are very energy efficient? Up to 10 times more so than electric ovens! Even microwaves are more energy efficient than ovens.

So, are kettles energy efficient? This largely depends on how they are used. 

It also depends on eco friendly features that some kettles now have, such as rapid boil, one cup and keep warm settings.

These features support a more energy efficient kettle as they reduce the boil time, which means less energy is needed. 

Features of an eco friendly kettle

Most 3kW kettles will take a similar amount to boil an amount of water. But there are certain eco features that make a kettle more energy efficient.

Ultimately, an eco kettle will help you use less energy with each boil. 

So, if you want to buy an energy efficient kettle, look out for these features:

• Rapid boil – the quicker to boil, the less energy used overall
• Variable temperature settings – you don’t always need boiling 100oC water. For example, the perfect brewing temperature for coffee is 93-96oC. 
• Brief overboil time (once the water hits boiling point, you want your kettle to switch off)
• Small minimum fill level – so you can boil the right amount of water needed
• Good insulation – less heat energy loss
• Keep warm feature – maintains a high temperature for around 30 minutes

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Top 6 Most Energy Efficient Eco Kettles 2023

Here are some of the most energy efficient eco kettles you can buy on the market in 2023.

All the items below are electric kettles that when used correctly and with some of the tips above, will help you save energy and money.

Please note there are some affiliate links here. This means that should you go on to buy one of the kettles, I may receive a small commission from the retailer. This comes at no extra cost whatsoever to you. 

1. Vektra Eco Kettle

The Vektra is a superb eco friendly kettle and the world’s first thermal insulated electric kettle. 

With a 1.5 litre capacity, this efficient kettle is powered to just 1.8kW which boils water quickly thanks to the vacuum walls. It’s this vacuum feature that adds an insulating layer to the kettle for increased efficiency. 

This keeps the water inside hotter for longer. For example, 2 hours after boiling the water is still heated to 80oC.

I like the Vektra eco kettle as well because it’s predominantly a stainless steel kettle with only a couple of elements (trim and handle) made from plastic.  

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2. Philips Eco Kettle

The Philips eco kettle has been designed with sustainability (and your energy bills) in mind. The stylish outer casing is made from 100% bio-based plastics, which is certainly a rarity in this market. When compared to virgin plastic, this reduces the CO2 footprint by 25%. 

Powered to 2.2kW and with a 1.7L capacity, this Philips eco friendly kettle boils water efficiently and quickly shuts off to make sure no energy is wasted. 

As a company, Philips are aiming to be powered by 75% renewable energy by 2025.

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3. AEG Gourmet 7 Smart Kettle

The AEG Gourmet 7 is a good energy efficient eco kettle that will also look great in your kitchen. 

It has a 2.4kW heating element and 1.7L volume capacity. The AEG Gourmet 7 has precision temperature control with various settings ranging from 40oC to 100oC so you can make the perfect brew. It’s even ideal for preparing baby food and other items. 

Being smart and well insulated, it can maintain a precise temperature for up to 40 minutes once the kettle has been heated. It also has a limescale filter to improve the quality of your drink. 

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4. Duronic EK42

The Duronic EK42 is an eco friendly kettle with fast boil settings and variable temperature control. 

After boil, the Duronic kettle can keep the water hot for up to 30 minute in case you or someone else wants an extra brew, or if you boil the kettle but don’t pour it straight away. 

This eco kettle has a stainless steel outer casing, a 1.7 litre capacity and has a 3000W heating element for a fast boil. 

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5. Russell Hobbs 24364

Made from a combination of plastic and stainless steel, the Russell Hobbs 24364 is both a stylish and energy efficient kettle. It will boil you one cup of water in just 45 seconds!

This kettle is powered by a 3kW heating element and has a capacity of 1.7L. It has a good water level on the side to make sure you’re not over-boiling the amount of water and it also has a removable water filter. 

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6. Von Shef

The VonShef is an affordable and energy efficient kettle. 

It is rapid to the boil and has a quick automatic switch off once it reaches 100oC. This kettle has a 1.7 litre capacity and is powered with 2.2kW, meaning you will be using less energy than a 3kW kettle. 

The VonShef has a removable water filter that can be cleaned and reused. 

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How to be more energy efficient with your kettle?

With any kettle, there are always little tips and tricks you can incorporate to make your water boiling more efficient. 

As the kettle is one of the most used items in the kitchen, being as energy efficient as possible is important. 

Here are 4 top tips to be more energy efficient with any kettle:

1. Only add the amount of water you need – if you’re making 2 cups of tea, just add enough water for this amount
2. Don’t re-boil the water a minute later once boiled – people have a habit of this, but your boiled water will still be at a brewable temperature 
3. Store excess boiled water in an insulated flask or bottle – I’ve started to do this when I work from home. Any over-boiled water goes into a thermos flask or my insulated Chilly bottle to be used later on. It works perfectly. 
4. De-scale your kettle regularly – limescale can reduce the efficiency of your kettle. It’s a good idea to de-scale your kettle every 1-2 months. This can be done easily with a few common ingredients, including lemon, baking soda and vinegar. You can also clean your oven this way.

Are rapid boil kettles more energy efficient?

Rapid boil kettles can be more energy efficient than a standard kettle.

As the name suggests, they’ve been designed to bring water to the boil quickly.

Does this mean rapid boil kettles use more energy?

Not necessarily. Because they heat water quickly, a rapid boil kettle should use less energy overall.

To say whether rapid boil kettles are more energy efficient does depend on a few factors. You’ll have to look at the model itself and take into account the size of the kettle, how much water is in it and its power consumption.

A levelling factor is the Energy Label rating. Make sure you look at this. In fact, most of the eco kettles above are rapid boiling varieties too so you should be good to go with one of these.

Boiling water taps vs kettles

The question of hot water taps or kettles is getting asked more and more often.

And it’s a good question to ask.

It’s thought that instant boiling water taps can help you save money and energy. The highly insulated storage tank under the sink keeps the water at a high temperature, meaning it only needs minimum energy input to get it up to boiling.

There’s not a lot in it in terms of energy but the calculations and tests show that these instant hot water taps can be more efficient. You can read more on boiling water taps vs kettles for energy efficiency here.

Wrap up on eco kettles

If you’re in the market for a new kettle, or will be in the near future, I’d highly recommend getting an eco friendly model. 

Not only will it save you energy and money over the course of year, but it’s also better for the environment. 

The same applies to other everyday kitchen appliances, such as energy efficient fridges to store your milk and eco dishwashers to clean everything up.

Eco kettles are one of the easiest appliances to buy compared to other kitchen appliances. This combined with your energy efficient kettle practices as outlined above will make for a more sustainable household.

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