There are two running costs: the electricity the tank uses to keep water hot, and replacement filters. Both are steady and easy to plan for, and the filter is the one people forget to budget for.
The electricity
The tank under your sink keeps a few litres of water hot and tops itself up as you use it. As one real example, QETTLE rates its 4 litre tank at 35W on standby and puts that at just under 24p a day at 28p per kWh, which is about £86 a year at that price.
Your own bill gives your figure. Find the standby rating in watts in your tap's manual, multiply by 24 and divide by 1,000 to get the units it uses in a day, then multiply by the price per unit on your latest statement and by 365.
The filter
Most brands we fit, including QETTLE, need a new filter roughly every six months. Quooker filters last two years. Your tap's manual gives the exact interval for your model. A filter left in too long makes the water taste different and lets limescale build up in the tank, which is how a cheap part turns into an expensive repair.
We price filters and filter changes on request, because it depends on the tap you have. Ask us and we will tell you what yours takes.
What makes it cost more or less
- Tank size. QETTLE tanks come in 2, 4 and 7 litre sizes, and a bigger tank holds more hot water.
- How often you draw off, because every litre you take is reheated.
- Hard water. Limescale makes the tank work harder and the filter wear faster, so in a hard water area expect the shorter end of the filter life.
- A chiller. If your tap also gives chilled water, that is extra kit under the sink with its own running cost.
Against a kettle
A tap heats only the water you actually draw, so you stop boiling a full kettle for one cup. Whether that saves you money depends on how much you were overfilling the kettle before. The difference most people notice is the time, not the bill.
Keeping it low
Change the filter when it is due, and have the tap serviced so limescale does not build up. Our filter reminders are free: we email you when yours is due, so it does not get left.