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My car charger can boil water really fast [video]

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77 points zdw | 2 comments | 28 Nov 25 02:58 UTC | HN request time: 0.43s | source
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JonChesterfield ◴[07 Dec 25 13:21 UTC] No.46181494[source]▶
I'm sure there was a period where one couldn't find a 3kW kettle in the UK on power efficiency grounds, one was supposed to run a 2kW one instead to save the planet. But now when I search I find 3kW models again. So either that was a nightmare of some sort or sanity has prevailed.

Chatgpt thinks this was threatened in 2010 then postponed in 2016 then cancelled, which vaguely aligns with my timeline of interest in tea.

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1. jnsaff2 ◴[07 Dec 25 13:39 UTC] No.46181607[source]▶
UK power grid has the Eastenders effect. Where the ending credits of the Eastenders soap signals a large increase in power draw from the grid as people will put on the tea kettle at the end of the show. The grid operators have to dispatch enough power to cover for this.

While the amount of energy used to boil water at 2kW is not significantly different from 3kW (2kW has a tiny amount of more atmospheric losses I think), there is a difference for the impact on the grid. Same energy but more power generating and transmission line capacity needed.

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2. holdit ◴[07 Dec 25 14:23 UTC] No.46181860[source]▶
Here's a video showing an engineer at the national grid bringing hydro-electric plants online at the closing credits of a popular soap opera in anticipation of the millions of kettle that are about to be switched on!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slDAvewWfrA