I use filtered tap water and heat it up in a metalnelectric kettle on my countertop. It heats up far faster than water on a stovetop and about as fast as the microwave, but I’m pretty sure it is more energy efficient than both.

If you can’t find a local solution to your problem, then I have an alternative that might work for you.  I heat water on the stove and then fill up a glass lined thermal carafe so I have hot water available all day.  The carafe I have keeps the water hot enough to make tea for almost 12 hours.

I 2nd the electric kettle. Takes all of 3 minutes to boil water for tea, and no heating up the stove.

(actually I thought I was going to be original suggesting the electric kettle, am kind of disappointed I didn’t get here first ^.^)

I know you said you didn’t want to use glass but we purchased 2 glass bottles from a wine making company ($16 per bottle).  They are 3 gallons instead of the 5 gallon bottles so they actually don’t weigh more than the plastic bottles and they fit perfectly on our water cooler.  The only thing is they do not have a handle to carry them.

When I was pregnant with my son (born Oct 1 2008), I made my hubby change over to the glass water bottles.  I feel SO much better using them, however they are smaller and therefore require more frequent filling AND they are heavy. 

We pack ours inside plastic milk crates and wrap them with towels for transport in the car...it’s a bit nerve wracking!

We drink lots of tea at our house and we do what Twinsanity does as well. Heat water on the stove in the morning and fill the large insulated flask and use all day long.

If I do need to microwave the water, I only use glass or ceramic. No plastics.

Question for you tea drinkers.  I love tea, and so do my kids, but we but stopped drinking it because I was told that tea has a high amount of flouride in it.  Have any of you heard that?

what about installing an under the sink filtration system with a hot water tap?
something like this: http://www.insinkerator.co.uk/aboutSHWT.aspx

It’s costly, but if you drink so much tea and don’t want to heat on the stove or an electric kettle it’ll probably pay itself off in the long run. And you won’t have to lift any heavy bottle anymore. I never could do that, always got water everywhere!

I suggest using a filter such as from New Wave Enviro products and then an electric teakettle.  I have a variable temp electric kettle from Upton Tea Imports that I adore.  It’s very quick.  Then if you have leftover water, you could store it in a thermos for later.

For those who have decent tasting water, I second the suggestion to use a instant hot water tap with a filter.  Our Insinkerator model came with the filter and was easy to install myself.  We put it in during a kitchen remodel and hardly ever have to boil water now, even cooking pasta requires minimal time to get the water to a rolling boil.  It was great for heating baby milk bottles.

I buy Arrowhead water in Alberta, and it comes in large recyclable bottles which I believe are BPA free.