Which Aga Fuel Type Should you Choose?
There are a wide variety of fuel types available for Aga range cookers, so it can be difficult to decide which is best for you when choosing to buy new or second hand.
As uncovered in our Aga range cookers owners survey, the most popular fuel source is gas with electric gaining in popularity every year. In fact, 70% of all new Aga range cookers sold are electric with increasing number of owners also choosing to convert their gas and oil cookers to electric.
What’s important to note about the different types of range cooker is they all cook the same way (yes, even electric!), heating the oven castings within the cooker which in turn gives out a radiant heat to warm the food itself.
Therefore, the difference between fuel types generally focuses on efficiency, heating requirements and general availability of that fuel type in your household.
Let's look at some important factors to consider when choosing which fuel to opt for:
Fuel Costs & Efficiency
The running costs of for Aga range cookers are probably the biggest factor for most people, due to the large bills some models can accrue. However, there is a massive difference between the various fuel types and models as we uncovered in our Aga range cooker owners’ survey.
In the survey we asked 1000s of our community of Aga range cooker owners how much they spent on running their cooker over the course of the year. As you can see below there are a lot of pennies to be saved over the course of a year!
Key & Cost Breakdown:
1. ELECTRICKIT – Blake & Bull’s Electrickit system (converted) - £5792. TC – Electric Total Control Agas - £584
3. SF – Solid Fuel Aga range cooker (discontinued for new cookers) eg. coal, anthracite and peat - £857
4. GAS – Gas Aga range cookers - £910
5. 30 Amp – 30 Amp Electric Aga range cookers - £970
6. OIL – Oil Aga range cookers - £1078
7. DC – Direct Control Aga range cookers - £1113
8. 13 Amp – 13 Amp Electric Aga range cookers (original) - £1185
9. 13 Amp converted – 13 Amp Electric Aga range cookers (converted) - £1255
10. LPG – LPG gas Aga range cookers (discontinued for new cookers) - £1440
What’s interesting about these figures is the difference between models, particularly the electric Aga range cookers. For example, the savings on the Electrickit system compared to the 13 amp electric system is over £650/year showing how crucial it is to find the right model.
The major advantage of the efficiency of electric models is that they can be controlled on a more granular level than traditional fuel sources running different parts of the cooker only when you need them (although some gas models can now also be controlled remotely). This also is a major advantage in the summer when you may not want to have a traditional cooker running all day, and can switch off overnight and even just use one oven or the hotplates rather than heating the cooker as a whole.
In real money, we estimate an Electrickit cooker will cost between £300-600 a year to run, whether converted or purchased reconditioned, which works out at £5.75-£11.50 per week. Compare this to £27 per week (LPG) and oil £20 and the savings become ‘real’!
Electrickit Aga range cookers also have the cost benefit of not needing to be serviced, unlike other models which typically need servicing every 6 – 12 months.
Fuel Type Availability
Another important thing to consider is whether your household is in an area where that fuel source is available, particularly important for natural gas cookers.
If you are completely ‘off-grid’ or looking to create a renewable self-sustainable energy source, there is also the possibility to use micro-generated energy such as wind, solar and heat pumps.
How Often you use the Cooker
If you anticipate using the cooker regularly at different parts of the day with food cooking, clothes drying and pets warming themselves up, then a traditional fuel source cooker may suit you.
Despite the higher fuel costs, it is nice and cosy to have the cooker on at all times; although you may find the all-day heat in summer slightly too much!
For draughty kitchens, particularly in older properties the Aga range cooker can be a vital heat source for all the family to gather around when other parts of the house are too cold.
There is something extremely comforting about having the cooker and the surrounding kitchen warm for you to use whenever needed, so this is another advantage of traditional fossil fuel models.
Match the Fuel Type to your Needs
Choosing an Aga range cooker is a highly personal decision and one that you need to consider from lots of different angles before you decide.
Blake & Bull sell ‘like new’ fully reconditioned Aga range cookers as well as offering an electric conversion service for existing fossil fuel cookers. Get in touch with our friendly team and we can help you with your next Aga range cookers.