use a lid when boiling water

Considering the proportion of our electric/gas bill that's used up by cooking, this isn't going to amount to much, but putting a lid on a pot while boiling water makes a huge difference in the amount of energy needed to cook. Boiling water with the lid off would be like running the a/c with a window wide open - not very efficient. On my stove, I can sustain a boil on a setting of 1 with the lid on, but lid off I need to set it to 4.5.

Other advantages:

• Water boils faster
• Kitchen stays cooler