Does the thought of your winter heating bills make you want to shiver?
How energy efficient windows help to reduce your heating costs.
A recent report by independent consultants, Faithful+Gould, has estimated that the UK's 26 million homes and 2 million offices "leaked an additional £1.2 billion of extra heat over the worst two weeks of the cold snap compared to a normal winter as owners turned up thermostats."
A spokesperson for the company said, "Heating systems struggle to maintain the indoor temperatures demanded of them and heat is lost at a greater rate from walls and windows."
She added, "While the £1.2 billion worth of additional lost heat may be a shocking figure, it is a conservative estimate."
The report also found that residents of an average, poorly insulated, 3-bed semi-detached house would have spent an extra £37.00 keeping their house warm over the coldest fortnight. A heat efficient house would also have seen higher bills but that extra cost would have been reduced to around £23.00.
As a nation of home-owners, the UK could have saved a staggering £364 million by simply raising property standards.
Stop your hard-earned from going out the window!
If the thought of your next heating bill makes you shiver, maybe it's time to look at where you could be making savings.
One significant step to reducing heat loss in your home or business is to look at the benefits of energy efficient windows.
The windows in your home provide less resistance to heat flow than walls, floors or ceilings. Even when windows comprise even a small area of a property, they're the area of greatest heat loss (and gain for that matter) accounting for as much as 25-30% of total heat loss which increases energy usage along with costs while decreasing your comfort.
Remember, both modern or older, more traditional buildings can benefit by improving their window energy ratings.
Energy saving checklist. How much could you save?
One of Brackenwood's principal suppliers of energy efficient windows, Pilkington, has an online calculator to help you work out how much money you can save in either a typical detached, semi-detached or terraced home.
- See the energy saving calculator.
Meanwhile, the Energy Saving Trust, an independent source of free advice and information for people looking to save energy, recommend energy efficient glazing as a measure to cut heat loss.
The Trust says that, "If everyone in the UK who needed double glazing fitted it, we'd save around £700 million".
- See the energy saving checklist.
What to look for in energy saving windows
When choosing your energy efficient windows, there are a few things you might should look for:
- Minimum C-rated under the BFRC Windows Energy Rating guidelines
- Energy Saving Recommended logo
- Certificate of Authenticity for HIPs Pack
Make a positive impact
If you're looking for replacement windows or doors - choose Brackenwood. Along with our world-class suppliers, you’ll be well on your way to making a positive impact on your home, your wallet AND the environment
If you want to know more about the energy efficiency of PVCu double glazing windows and doors along with the numerous ways they can benefit you, contact Brackenwood today.