Me (washing up): So, I thought we could get a new kettle.
Him Indoors (reading paper on sofa): Mmm Hmm
Me: It’s this new ecokettle?
HI: Hmm
Me: And it only boils the amount of water you need?
HI: Mmm
Me: Which is more environmentally friendly?
HI:
Me: Thing is, they’re £34 and we don’t really need a new…
HI: What?? (Newspaper crashes to floor, sofa rebounds to full height with a thunk of weary springs. Wilb exits at full gallop, stage left.)
Me: Well we don’t really need a new kettle, so it’s quite expensive.
HI: £34??!
Me: Yees.
HI: What does it do?
Me: It only boils the amount of water you…
HI: Well just put less in the kettle!
Conversation over. And he makes a good point. The ecokettle‘s major selling point is that it can boil “Exactly The Right Amount Of Water Every Time You Boil!” Which is fabulous, but I concede that I could just remember not to fill the thing up to flooding point every time I fancy a coffee.
Him Indoors looks smug. He always looks smug when he’s successfully pointed out another example of my whimsical ludicrousness. So, quite a bit then. Crisis averted, he returns to his sofa. I gaze out of the window, wondering whether being green is more exciting if it involves spending money I don’t really have. Well isn’t everything?
citybumpkin 
Haha! See, if it had blue LEDs, then it could be three figures and Hubster would want it, regardless of its eco-friendliness. There seems to be some kind of attracted-to-blue-lights gene his father has passed on to all the men in the family.
We have rather a lot of kitchen gadgets all united by their blue LEDness.
Do you know I think you’re absolutely right. If it was £340, Him Indoors might have been more intrigued. Especially if there were blue LEDs.
I think you nailed the whole “green” marketing strategy perfectly. “Green” is more fun if you get to spend your way there.
We had an eco-kettle. It was OK, although I seem to remember it was quite easy to scald yourself on the steam. The reason I’m a little hazy is that it stopped working completely – after 19 months, just when the warranty had expired. Customer services were no help, so it went in the bin. Not the best green buy! If you have a working kettle, stick with that one :)
you’re right – everything is more fun when you spend more money….except spending lots of money on toilet paper – that just makes no sense.
That’s the kind of conversation NAH and I have too! I’m definitely with Julia on the blue LEDs/male phenomenon
I’m for the low tech method of engaging brain and noticing how much water I’m putting into the kettle. My reward for gauging my own water level is a faster cup of coffee.
i was just looking through the CAT site for info on how to be build your own compost toilet and while browsing the ‘things for sale’ came up with ‘eco kettle’, it made me chuckle as i thought of you and him indoors….