We also have an old oil-fired Aga, but ours wasn't a conversion, so it runs like clockwork. I understand that some conversions are better than others so before you give up on it, it might be worth your while getting it checked out. In any event, you are likely to be paying the thick end of £2,000 a year for fuel, although you can knock the temperature down in summer or when you are away. There is nothing to beat a good Aga for keeping a good steady temperature in the kitchen, for cooking and at least some of the ironing. You didn't mention whether it is a two oven model, in which case it might have a water boiler attached. Ours produces virtually all our DHW needs and I am currently investigating ways of capturing the HW output on a sensible scale.

If the flue is there and the right size, why not put a woodburning stove in instead? If you got one with a backboiler on you could connect both it and solar panels to a heat store and have hot water winter and summer. Of course, it depends on the availability of wood; also, some people feel that burning wood in an urban area is a bit antisocial even if the woodburner has very low emissions. But if you're in a rural area with access to reasonably cheap or free wood, then it seems to me to be the way to go.

louisa,

We've had an Esse W23 woodfired cooker/boiler for about 18 months now. We're very happy with it.