Aga fitting and running costs

[Tom Harrigan]

88 units a week!!!

I've ordered a brochure...

[Miriam Griffiths]

We have just installed an electric aga. Much cheaper to run than any of the other models and servicing is only every 3 years instead of annually. I can recommend the electric model. Also much cleaner & less to go wrong.

[sabine]

Whow! I may be a bit late regarding the Aga thread but what a lot of useful information!! Many thanks. I am debating at present to fit a range into a beautiful historic 50's property (yes they exist!) and whether I can power a range (AGA or...) through photovoltaic panels or a wood pellet burner. Electric seems therefor the answer but at that consumption... many thanks again for everyones input. Take a look at ruralenergy.co.uk and navitron.org.uk

[martyn]

please don't fit an electric AGA and if you do it won't run off photo panels the AGA takes a 6kw load during charge that,s 60p an hour or 22p on economy 7, the electricity board called today and confirmed that our AGA has been charging itself during the day- technically AGA say it carn't do this but rest assured as God and two electricians are my witness they can, if you really want to install 20 cwt of cast iron into your kitchen get a standard Rayburn not an AGA using gas you don't pay for the badgeAND YOU KNOW WHEN IT'S ON!!!

[sabine]

Many thanks!! I do have suspicions with regards to electric AGAs. I will look into Rayburns and others. Not badge mad! I will be connected to gas but could use LPG tho' thats really expensive. Found something about Evershots on the forum. Do you mean that your AGA used electricity when it shouldnt have??

[KN]

We have always had electric Aga's with a timer switch so it can only come on when it is programmed for i.e on Economy 7 overnight.

[David Penrose]

I know very little about PV panels, but I have a suspicion that the size/number of panels needed to power an electric Aga would (a) involve a huge capital cost, and (b) need an area equivalent to Buckinghamshire.

Hopefully someone who knows what he/she is talking about will confirm or correct this inexpert impression.

[Hampton]

Among its many environmentally sustainable features OpTIC has the largest Copper Indium Diselenide photovoltaic (PV) wall in Europe. The 1000m2 PV array comprises 2368 photovoltaic panels in the form of a covered access colonnade to the south elevation of the building. Generating a peak output of 85kW by converting the energy from both direct and reflected solar radiation into electricity, the wall powers approximately 5% of the total annual electricity consumption of the new facility.
So if you need 1000 sq metres for 85kw then you need 100sq metres for 8.5kW, AND thats the peak. For some reason they're not good at night time.

[sabine]

I have been away and just caught up! The last entry made me laugh very very much! Finally figures!!

I am moving into half a house (split) and will inherit a fairly new condensing boiler (25 KW - 85 BTU) for water and space heating and radiators. Previously it has been powered by LPG.
No kitchen yet. S-SW facing 4 acres of land.

I can go back to LPG or think new which is doing my head in. Loads of good intentions and NO figures!

What would you do???

Thanks again for the 100 m2 reality check !

[Hampton]

What would I do? Well although I love the warmth in the winter of my Aga, I am not sure that they can really be clean and green. However we don't actually cook on ours much and I think there must be a cook's aspect to the selection of something like this.
As for energy conservation as a whole, anything that reduces the contribution of carbon emissions is a good starting point, but I am coming round to the conclusion that that's to do with using less energy, rather than looking at where the energy comes from first and then looking for the way a domestic user can tap into renewables.

[sabine]

Thank you for this. Yep I agree. I got rid of my AGA some years ago as I felt it didnt deliver the cooking I wanted to do but am reminded of the "bad workman blaiming her tools here"...as my cooking didnt get much better in stainless steel either and I missed the warmth.

Also I agree re cutting down fuel consumption and checking where green energy is available. Having said the AGA is not green and friendly if you can regulate it by a timer when you want it on and iron less etc ...

[Hampton]

I guess that we're quite lucky in that we effectively have two kitchens, one for summer the other for winter. In the summer one we have a gas hob and electric oven. The winter one has the Aga.