What a boiling water tap costs to buy
The price on the box is the RRP of the tap and its tank. Fitting comes on top, because the tank goes in the sink cabinet and needs a cold water feed and a power socket. The cheapest current models start at £299 and the dearest reach £3,693, so the spread between them is £3,394. The five cheapest are in the table below, with the yearly running cost worked out from the same rule for each.
| Model | RRP | Standby | Running cost | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HanstromHanstrom Ume 3-in-1 | £299 | 9 W | £46 a year |
|
| InSinkEratorInSinkErator GN1100 | £389 | 11 W | £51 a year |
|
| HanstromHanstrom Saxan 4-in-1 | £399 | - | - |
|
| FohenFohen Focetti Pro 4-in-1 | £489 | - | - | Model page |
| ArnotapArno Square 4-in-1 | £499 | 11 W | £51 a year | Model page |
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What it costs to keep running
The running cost has two parts. The first is standby: the tank holds its water hot all day, and the manufacturer states the wattage for that. Across the 24 models that state it, the figure runs from 9 W to 35 W. The tanks hold 2 to 7 litres. The second is heating the water you actually use. Our rule counts 10 cups of 0.25 litres a day, heated from 12 to 100 degrees, at 27p per kWh. It is the rule our running cost calculator uses, so the two always agree.
With that rule the yearly figure comes to £46 to £108. If your tariff or your number of cups differs, change both in the calculator and read the result for the model you are looking at.
When a kettle is the better buy
Standby does not depend on how much you use the tap. At 10 cups a day it makes up 46% to 77% of the yearly running cost in our rule, depending on the model. At 2 cups a day it makes up 81% to 94%. A kettle has no tank to keep hot, so for a household that makes only a few hot drinks a day, most of what a tap costs to run buys nothing at the moment you pour. That is the case for a kettle.
The case for the tap is the opposite: a household that boils water many times a day, or that uses the tap for cooking and tea at the same sink, spreads the standby over more cups. Our data holds no kettles, so we stop at the share and do not put a euro figure on the difference. For a view of the cheapest taps first, see our budget picks.
Next steps
Read the reviews and the brand pages for a model you are considering, set your own tariff in the running cost calculator, and look at Quooker tap prices if you are weighing the dearest brand against the cheaper ones in the Quooker alternatives guide.