EU Kettle Logic
By Paul Homewood
UKIP MEP, Roger Helmer has sent in this written question to EU commission in response to their proposals to limit the power of electric kettles.
“I understand that the Commission proposes to introduce measures to limit the power of electric kettles. Is this the case?
Does the Commission have any grasp of the basic physics of boiling a kettle?
Is the Commission aware that so far as the water itself is concerned, it takes just the same energy to boil a litre of water slowly as to boil it quickly?
Is the Commission aware that in boiling it slowly, over a longer time, more waste heat will be lost to the environment through conduction, convection and radiation?
Does the Commission therefore recognise that this proposal will increase electricity consumption, generate more waste heat, and tend to increase emissions, both of CO2 and water vapour?”
Roger seems to be labouring under the misapprehension that there is ever any logic to do what the Commission does!
Comments are closed.
Reblogged this on JunkScience.com and commented:
What’s the likelihood of getting a response? If he gets a response, how many man hours and megawatts would go into generating the response?
It’s the basis for a perfectly good Physics exam question for twelve year-olds, isn’t it? I still remember the swirl of potassium permanganate that was used to demonstrate natural convection to us. Lurvly.
I feel sure that I saw some mention of the EU requiring improved standards of insulation or construction with regard to kettles, which would go some way to negating the increased heat loss. Still doesn’t alter the utter stupidity of their proposals.
The real reason is (and has always been) to reduce the overall grid load in an attempt to force unpredictable “renewables” on us. I predict an increase in the sales of Thermos flasks, as frustrated consumers store boiling water for immediate use, rather than waiting for an underpowered kettle to slowly boil…
People don’t like it when you mess with their tea.
From the Torygraph 6 days ago
“Günther Oettinger, the German EU energy commissioner, said that legislation preventing consumers from buying high-wattage appliances was necessary to fight climate change.”
So, for kettles, this must mean we need greater not lower wattage, to minimise time-related heat losses. Hoist by their own petard.
Richard North has his own perspective on this: http://www.eureferendum.com/blogview.aspx?blogno=85178
Not quite sure if he’s right or wrong as the directive is long and labouring but it’s on my to do list for later when I can make my own mind up.
Same logic for vacuum cleaners. Less power, longer to do the bizz.
Might turn out well for those that do housekeeping and are paid by the hour.
Reducing the size of electric kettles is one of the few proposals which makes sense.
The men controlling the grid are always ready for Coro.Street or Strictly coming to an end.
They are suddenly faced with a gigantic energy peak as 20million kettles are plugged in to make a brew!
If those kettles were only 1.5KW rather than the super fast 3KW, it would make a dramatic change to that energy peak.
You certainly explain it well.
Nevertheless, this is pathetic.
If your “grid” can’t handle people’s tea kettles, add more power, don’t mandate smaller kettles.
How Orwellian can we let this get ?
But see the reason quoted by Günther Oettinger (my above post). He wouldn’t mislead the public, would he??
Maybe they can get a deal.
You can have the fast tea kettles if you promise to drink the tea in the dark with the TV off.
Off Topic.
Paul, the Met Office are at it again, hottest & wettest year to date since records began.
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/506748/Warm-wet-weather
It cannot be “hottest and wettest” because of the heat capacity of water.
The Met Office is contradicting the laws of physics.
Any opinions on this?
The biggest factor was a mild and wet winter, wholly due to the direction of prevailing winds from the SW.
In other words, just a redistribution of air masses
What they should do is make more effective cut out switches. Kettles boil for about 12 seconds more than they need to.
So good and so funny I re-posted the entire article it at http://thisbluemarble.com
I hope you do not mind .
Ross .
Reblogged this on vuurklip and commented:
Burokrate en Fisika is nie bedmaats nie!