Posh folk ditch AGA cookers amid fears they will cost too much to run

2022-09-12

Posh folk ditch AGA cookers amid fears they will cost too much to run during cost of living crisis

Oven engineers report a rush of requests to have them removed across Britain
Estimates suggest they cost 30 times more for cooking then a conventional oven
AGA range cookers are designed in Sweden but are made in Telford, Shropshire

AGA range cookers are being ditched by their middle class owners who say they are too costly to run at a time of soaring energy bills.

Oven engineers around the country report a rush of requests to have them removed. Even those with modern electric models are finding the cast-iron stoves are guzzling energy.

While they do provide background heat for the home, some estimates suggest they typically cost 30 times more for cooking than a conventional cooker.

The Aga, designed in Sweden, is made in Telford, Shropshire. A company spokesman said the ovens have evolved to ensure they are more efficient.

Jack O’Dwyer, a Blackpool-based oven remover, has taken out 35 Agas this year and received at least 100 phone calls from people across the country looking to sell. Others are seeking to have them removed for free as they can’t afford the roughly £500 charge to remove them.

The Aga (pictured), designed in Sweden, is made in Telford, Shropshire. A company spokesman said the ovens have evolved to ensure they are more efficient

Mr O’Dwyer won’t buy Agas from their owners as he is no longer confident of finding a buyer.

One recent client was paying £10 a day to run her brand new electric Aga and had it removed after just six months.

He said: ‘It’s always a dream come true for people to have them but it’s just crucifying that they can’t hold onto them – £70 a week is outrageous for a cooker.’

Many keep their Aga for decades and such is the emotional attachment that Mr O’Dwyer has seen owners moved to tears as he carries them away in pieces.

Brand new Agas cost around £15,000 with some people likening the purchase to a car rather than an oven. Even second hand they can still sell for £5,000.

A Facebook group entitled I love my Aga! has 16,800 members and currently the community is sharing advice on how best to save energy while running the appliance.

Julie Bradbury, a married mother of two in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, said: ‘It’s not just an oven. Agas become a significant part of your life. It would be a big loss.’

Glenn Bing, an independent Aga engineer based in Kent, has been removing them at the rate of about one a week this year.

He told Bloomberg the trend has ‘definitely got to be related to the cost of living’.

Aga, which is now owned by a US company, stressed it has long been aware of the need to save energy. As a result its modern electric versions have moved away from being ‘always on’.

A spokesman said the Aga has evolved, in much the way cars and washing machines have, to ensure they are more efficient.

She said: ‘They employ modern technology to make sure they don’t use any more energy than absolutely necessary.

‘The majority are run on electricity, which means people can benefit from renewables. They are also entirely controllable and programmable. So you can just turn a hotplate on if you want to make a quick stir fry.

‘They have fan ovens and induction hobs. You can programme them to come on at specific times.

‘Aga encourages people with older agas to trade up to new ones. They offer great, enhanced trade-in deals so people can have a cooker that is made for today.’

Source: Read Full Article