With electricity and gas prices rising to unmentionable levels, the UK’s cost of living crisis rumbles on. But even with the latest energy price cap locked, for now, at £2,500 for the average household, it still means we need to look for ways to cut our costs. But with no price cap in place for businesses, it can be even harder to cut those costs. So does having a hot water dispenser in your office help or hinder your electricity costs?

Energy price and relief schemes

The latest Energy Price Guarantee for domestic users, which came into effect on 1 October 2022, will reduce the unit cost of electricity and gas. On average, a typical household with typical energy use will pay around £2,500 a year on their energy until the next price cap review in six months, when it could go up or down.

Though similar, it’s a slightly different story for businesses. A new government scheme, the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, offers wholesale electricity and gas price discounts for all non-domestic UK business customers. Again, this comes into effect on 1 October and runs for six months, at which point the government will review it.

So, while there is some relief for everyone, it’s still a time when domestic and business users need to look more carefully at their energy use. And that can mean making smaller investments, like switching to LED bulbs and reducing heating or air conditioning use, or larger investments, like adding solar panels or a heat source pump to make an impact.

Kick out the kettle

For quick wins, domestic and business users often focus on smaller ways to save money: turning lights off, switching off and unplugging appliances and perhaps even using the kettle less. And things like kettle usage could prove to be a winner – especially in the office.

An average-sized kettle can hold around 1.5 litres of water, about five mugs worth, which can take around 3-minutes to boil. This process uses using 0.1kWh of electricity. If you have a team of 10 drinking an average of 4 tea rounds a day, that’s some serious electricity costs. But if your staff enjoy hot drink rounds during the day, a hot water dispenser could bring big savings on your electricity bills.

Does your hot water dispenser use a lot of electricity?

In a word, no. It doesn’t. Despite its size, a good hot water dispenser is designed to be completely energy efficient. Even though a model can provide up to 28 litres of 96ºC hot water every hour, it’s an incredibly cost-effective way to heat your water.

An entry-level hot water dispenser from Thirsty Work, the 1000M, can supply the hot water demands for your team using just 0.066 kW per hour, which works out to be roughly 16p a day. And when it goes into standby mode, it still keeps the water piping hot (no repeat boiling here!) for less than £1 a day. Check our boiler savings calculator to see how much you could save.

Start energy saving with Thirsty Work

If you’re looking to reduce electricity costs in your home or office, installing a Thirsty Work water dispenser can make a big difference. For more information, contact our customer service team by calling 01392 877 172 or emailing hello@thirstywork.com to start your 10-day free trial today.