With 'efficiency' and 'economy' being the buzz words on everyone's lips, its evident that Aga owners are looking to reduce expenses and save money....who wouldn't right?
With price of oil popping its head above the 74p per litre mark, back in November 2010, it caused a wave of murmurings among Aga owners across the country that had suddenly took an interest in how much their cookers were costing to run.
It was further escalated by the media attention, there was article after article written in the national papers claiming the 'gas guzzling' Aga is dead - as they could no longer provide the efficiency required to please most home owners, that statement being partly true but mostly hot air!
The truth lies somewhere between the 2 sides of the argument. If you're looking for total efficiency then you'll need to scrap the Aga, buy yourself and eco-home made of paper and twigs and uproot and move to a forest in Greenland!
If on the other hand, if you're not bothered by the oil prices and have too many other, more pressing things to spend time concentrating on, then you'll find that you will probably continue along your current path until either oil becomes extortionate or your income drops low enough so oil prices do become an issue (unless of course your lucky dip lotto rollover winner!)
The most interesting thing about the whole debate is the gender divide. I've noticed that the opinions of a customer is expecting from an Aga differs depending on which gender is buying the Aga. Generally the women (who I'm presuming in most cases are in charge of the house) will not budge on what they want from an Aga, they like the constant warmth and the reliability of having it on all the time, the economy of the cooker falls very much into second place.
The men, on the other hand seem to be obsessed with turning the cooker off or onto shutdown for as long as at all possible, to make maximum savings. Yeah sure, they appreciate the heat and the meals that may come from it, but they seem to be driven by turning the cooker off more than having it on!
I get the feeling that Aga's 'Total Control' was designed by the male gender possibly for a customer which probably doesn't yet exist! - What are your thoughts?
: http://www.davidpointer.com/index.php/the-war-of-the-kitchen-the-husband-vs-the-wife