We’re not eco monsters, says embattled Aga chief

The debate about the cooker’s virtues has boiled over with its maker taking on the critics

Matthew Goodman
Environmentalists have turned their guns on an array of villains, from carrier bags and patio heaters to the gushing taps at Starbucks coffee shops. Now they have a more unlikely target — the Aga cooker, icon of middle-class homeliness.
George Monbiot, the campaigning writer, stoked up the attack by describing the cookers, which also provide hot water and heating, as environmentally unfriendly “monsters”. He claimed that they generate much higher levels of carbon dioxide than other appliances, they waste energy because they are always running and, perhaps oddly, he berated them because they last for many years.
His concerns were echoed by some green organisations, including the Energy Saving Trust, which argued that Agas are “inherently wasteful” because they produce heat constantly, warming a house “even when not required, specifically when there is no one in”.
The company has responded in only a low-key way since the criticism began early this year. Its chief executive, William McGrath, agreed to a debate with Monbiot and a transcript of their conversation was published in The Guardian newspaper. It did not read like a cosy fireside chat. At times the discussion became so prickly, the pair were reduced to simply contradicting each other.
McGrath continues to defend his company against the charges that Agas are bad for the environment, but is bemused by some of the accusations. “Monbiot clearly has a very distinctive approach; he had some prejudices,” is all he will say.
It is not an idle debate. The government has set a target that by 2016 all new homes must be carbon neutral. If Agas are seen to be carbon-belching monsters, that could be very bad for business.
The company has challenged the claim that Aga homes emit more carbon dioxide than those using other forms of heating. The average UK household produces about six tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. McGrath claims a home with a programmable Aga powered by gas or electricity, rather than the traditional solid fuel or oil, would produce a much more modest amount, say 3.5 to 4.5 tonnes annually. In part, the company argues, this is because the multi-purpose Aga removes the need to run other domestic appliances such as tumble dryers or toasters.
“We feel robust on our carbon-dioxide calculations,” said McGrath. “To some degree, it’s up to individuals how they operate their Aga at home.
“If we can make the products more programmable, that’s got to be a good thing. And people are looking for Agas to do more things for them [than merely heating the home or cooking].”
The most crucial element is the programmable aspect of the devices. Much of the company’s research and development has been focused on this area and most new electric Agas come with a timer switch that allows them to be turned off overnight, for example. There are, though, a huge number installed that lack such a device — the company estimates that 300,000 Agas are in use around the world.
Last month it started a campaign to raise awareness among Aga owners that it is possible to upgrade the cookers’ burner systems, fitting them with modern technology. In this way, gas-fired Agas can be made programmable, for example.
Such an upgrade does not come cheap, however. Adding a timer to an electric model costs £700, but to turn an oil-fired Aga into a programmable electric machine would set you back about £2,000.
It could be difficult to convince owners to fork out such sums for an upgrade during a recession. McGrath said that those who upgraded from oil to electric “would not need their Agas serviced as often” and would see a reduction of about 25% in energy consumption. He pointed out that Aga conversions were not new: “For people who have had their Aga for 30 or 40 years, this has happened before. Agas were built [originally] to take solid fuel and most of those were converted to run on oil or gas.”
The cast-iron cookers, made from 70% recycled material, are renowned for their endurance. This is one of the reasons that Monbiot became agitated by them. Agas “last indefinitely. That’s a disaster for an energy-using device, isn’t it?” he said, referring to the fact that they don’t get replaced by more economical products.
The Warwickshire company carried out a poll to find the oldest Aga in use in Britain. One had been in service since 1932. McGrath argues that to criticise the cookers for their longevity makes little sense. “The point we are trying to make is that we are moving with the times, moving with the technology,” he said.