Today's tip is pulled from an amazing organization across the pond called We Are What We Do. In the land of the tea-drinkers, kettles are electric, and they say: "Only fill your kettle with the water you need. If everybody did we could save enough electricity to run all the street lighting in the whole country."

It's true. And it relates to more than just tea! Boiling water for pasta or potatoes? Why fill that pot all the way up? It's only going to take longer to boil, and you'll probably have your bowties floating around in way too much water. The longer it takes, the more energy you use!

Also make sure that when you put a pot on the stove to put a lid on it! It will help the water heat even faster. Finally, you never want to sit and watch the pot - for if you do, it will never boil!

Rebecca says: When I used to live in Monterrey, Mexico, I don't know if the gas stove wasn't set up right (the flame didn't even get close to the pot), or if the altitude also affected it, but it took me over 30 minutes to get water to boil. The only cure was to zap it in the microwave first. I guess I should have had someone come and fix it…what a waste!