Generally they consist of a glass body, and a wick. When filled with a very high quality, sootless paraffin (Ordinary paraffin or kerosene simply will not do), they provide a clean, long lasting and very economical candle light.

As there is no wax involved, there is no mess, and also no waste. They tend to come in many different varieties, and because the fuel is available in many colours, you will always find one that matches your style and décor.

The main maintenance required is refilling, which, dependent on the model, may need to be done daily, weekly or maybe as little as fortnightly. If you choose a good supplier, then filling should be easy as they should provide a filling bottle and nozzle which will fit right inside the candle so you just gently squeeze the bottle and it takes a few seconds.

The running costs are typically around one and a half pence an hour.

Some simple ones can cost as little as a couple of pounds, so your initial investment need not be large. And once you consider the costs saved on wax removal, wastage of half used candles and the variable costs of wax, an oil candle is often more efficient, more economical and more pleasing on the eye.

On the down side for an oil candle, the wicks can be a little fiddly to set up the first time to get just the flame you want, but on the other hand, you can get just the flame you want, where wax candles cannot be adjusted.

As with pre filled fuel cells, there is no fire hazard as the fuel will not burn without a wick, but you shouldn’t drink the fuel! It’s particularly important to keep the fuel away from children under three as it can be very harmful to them.

Oil Candles can be easily moved around, particularly if you opt for one with a shade. This may seem an insignificant point, but if you have a family with young children, you do not want them playing with fire so you want to move any candles away. A lit wax candle will quickly deposit a trail of wax behind it at the slightest touch.

It also means you can light candles in your window area, to draw people in, and then move them to other tables as and when required.