On 29/08/14 16:38, Ian Jackson wrote:

I don't know the exact truth of the matter, but a few days ago, I was
listening to a radio phone-in. One caller claimed that the EU decreed
that toilet cisterns had to be reduce in volume (75%?). As a result,
many tended to need two flushes - using more water than before.

True IME. I fitted a high level cistern at my house and it works with
one flush (and it is a standard low volume type).

On holiday, the low level bogs needed 2 flushes typically for anything
more than a No 1.

The same is certainly true of kettles. The least energy is used by the
more powerful kettles (which boil very quickly). In fact, if you reduce
the power below a certain level, the heat being lost by radiation and
convection of the surrounding air exceeds that being supplied, and it
will never ever boil (although this could be offset by adding sufficient
thermal insulation).

As the previous poster suggests, this may be a move to reduce peak power
consumption - but this simply faulty logic. The result will simply be
appliances being used for longer in order to fulfil their intended
purpose, As a result, at any one time, you might have (say) two 1kW
kettles on (overlapping use) instead of one 1.5kW followed by a second
1.5kW.

Indeed - unless the power is reduced so far at takes all night to boil,
in which case the elect companies will love it