Bought a house with an aga - it guzzles gas 25,000 kWh so no idea what to do! Utilities Warehouse?

QrizB

wittynamegoeshere said:

lizziewillsavemoney said:

I love the Aga - would never have understood the fuss till I got one but it’s only as I’ve dropped a day at work for ill health and now thinking if going to three days work that the pennies are pinching more and more. I usually turn it off last weekend of May til  early October. I reckon it will be off longer this summer and I’ll be using the conventional oven!. 

So far Utilities Warehouse has the best variable rate - gas is 3.98 per kWh and 18p standing rate, electricity is 20 kWh and 17 standing. So Energy my current supplier on variable is gas 4p and 26p and electric 20 and 24 standing 

If you could take meter readings over a 24-hour period where you're otherwise not using gas you could work out roughly how much it costs you in cold hard cash.  Put some numbers up if you like, there are lots of boffins here who like nothing better than working out this sort of thing.  It probably amounts to lots of £100s per year at current prices.  Then decide whether your love for it is unconditional!

Flat out, an Aga burner is rated at 5kW (link) but I'm going to guess that it's not often run at that level.

If it's normally turned down to a 1kW simmer, and lit 24/7/365, that's 8760kWh/yr. At 4.1p/kWh it will cost £360/yr. Say £30/month if you want to pro-rata it for part of the year.

worrywart_3

wittynamegoeshere said:

I've heard that Agas have been used in the past for gently warming up newborn lambs that had got really cold.

We'd have to microwave them, which probably wouldn't turn out very well.

So if you're a shepherd then perhaps they have a purpose.  Otherwise, it's probably just for bragging rights down at the WI.

Who’s being judgemental? 😂

worrywart_3

As of yesterday agas has and oil are no longer made, only electric yes the gas guzzlers have had their day they also run very hot, there are much more efficient similar beasts that can be used in conjunction with battery storage and solar now and even biomass ones. They do cook exceptionally well and whilst you say they have had their day hot tubs use a very similar amount of electric if not more than an efficient aga that can dwindle at night eco settings etc 

QrizB

worrywart_3 said:

... hot tubs use a very similar amount of electric if not more than an efficient aga that can dwindle at night eco settings etc 

I once heard someone refer to a hot tub as a "fetid pool of human soup" and ever since then they have seemed a lot less tempting 🤢

GingerTim

An electric Aga? Surely it's more efficient if I just burned £10 notes instead?

greyteam1959

Only thing a Aga was good for was warming your bum !!

lizziewillsavemoney

If you could take meter readings over a 24-hour period where you're otherwise not using gas you could work out roughly how much it costs you in cold hard cash.  Put some numbers up if you like, there are lots of boffins here who like nothing better than working out this sort of thing.  It probably amounts to lots of £100s per year at current prices.  Then decide whether your love for it is unconditional!

I'd assume that they will be nothing like as energy efficient as any decent boiler, so a lot of heat will be spraying straight out of the flue, in addition to the remaining heat probably not being in the place you really want it.

That’s a good idea - I’ll do that 

lizziewillsavemoney

QrizB said:

worrywart_3 said:

... hot tubs use a very similar amount of electric if not more than an efficient aga that can dwindle at night eco settings etc 

I once heard someone refer to a hot tub as a "fetid pool of human soup" and ever since then they have seemed a lot less tempting 🤢

I once saw the filter of a hot tub at a David Lloyd being changed and heard the hot tub being similarly described as warm pool of BO, skin and hair ….. I’ve never been in one since! 

Curiousgirl1

lizziewillsavemoney said:

wittynamegoeshere 

The Aga was in the house when I bought it - I doubt I would ever have bought one as when I looked it up it cost around £12,000. I do have a normal oven as well which I use when I turn mine off in the summer to save money 

Sell it, will give you extra cash & cut your gas usage, win win 🤣🤣

jimjames

lizziewillsavemoney said:

wittynamegoeshere 

The Aga was in the house when I bought it - I doubt I would ever have bought one as when I looked it up it cost around £12,000. I do have a normal oven as well which I use when I turn mine off in the summer to save money 

Selling it and using the money to buy a normal oven might be cost effective?