I have a friend at work who was told by doctors to reduce his intake of tea and coffee. He joins us sometimes and takes hot water only. I tried it once or twice and it was OK.

When I look at the process of boiling water and then waiting for it to cool down, I see it as a energey wasting habit like some drivers who see red light, keep their foot on the gas, and then when they reach the traffic light, only then they press the brakes. Very wasteful way of driving. I usually coast a bit before reaching the light . Simialrly when I - occasionally - iron my own clothes , I unplug the iron from the outlet one or two minutes before finishing and utilize the remaining heat in the iron for the last touches.

I hate to waste material and energy, and believe we should develop habits of conservation , which can be useful in bad times.