On Thu, 12 May 2016 16:33:44 +0100, Chris B wrote:

Just to give credit to the EU (for once - I don't usually) I think that
the real reason is not to increase efficiency of the kettle but to
reduce the peak load on the generation system when 10 million of them
are turned on at half time in the cup final. Ten million 2.4 kw kettles
is a lot lower peak demand than 10 million 3.0 kw kettles, so you don't
have to have the same peak capacity in the generating system (so their
beloved wind-mills might look more attractive).

Time wasted by 30 million people waiting longer every time they boil the
kettle day in day out cup final or no cup final is of course not counted
by the EU efficiency plonkers

'course, if those 10m kettles were better insulated, then less heat would
be lost while the water is being boiled, and less heat would have been
lost before the kettle is next boiled.

I'll leave it to others to decide if there are other efficiency gains to
be made - perhaps by more efficient element design, especially in kettles
where the element isn't in direct contact with the water.

But, no, let's just lob some more coal on the power station instead.
There's plenty more dead dinosaurs where that came from.