A quick article on choosing energy efficient windows penned for a leading windows provider to create general awareness about the double glazing and energy efficiency in windows.

1. Can Energy Efficient Windows be the right choice for your home?
Withincreasingconcernaboutforecastsfor a colder winter this year, many of us are worried about
the soaring cost of energy bills. If you’re a homeowner who’s worried about the rising cost of your
heatingbillsthiswinter,andare interestedinexploringwaystoensure thatyourenergybills stay on
track, yourwindowscouldbe one of the major factorsin yourhome that couldhelpyoudo just that.
Energyefficientwindowsare increasinglybecomingthe smartchoice for homeowners who not only
wantto reduce the costs of theirenergyconsumption,but are also interested in being eco-friendly
by saving energy and reducing the consumption of fossil fuels by making their home more energy
efficient.
How energy efficient windows work
To ensure that double glazing
windowsforyourhome are energy
efficient, manufacturers use
certain innovative technologies.
The special glass used in energy
saving windows is called low
emissivity glass, otherwise known
as ‘low- e glass’. Since our high
school science lessons, we know
that heatalwaysflowstowards the
cold.Therefore,if yourwindowsdo
not have a low-e coating, the heat
from your home will be absorbed
through your windows and will
flow outside, where it is colder.
The energywill be lostcontinuouslyasthe windowscontinue tokeeppumpingheat away from your
home and your boiler will keep working continuously to generate more heat, as a result of which,
your energy bills will soar sky high.
Low-e glass,onthe otherhand, hasa special coatingwhichmakesitapoor radiatorof heatand does
not allow the heat to be transferred to the outside. Instead, the low-e coating actually reflects the
heat back into your house, thus helping reduce the loss of heat and also reducing energy
consumption. The special glass also helps block the rays of the sun (up to 90% in most cases). This
innovative technologyactuallyworkstothe benefitof your home across seasons in winter, it keeps
the heat inside where it’s needed most and in summer it keeps the heat out.
Protecting your home against adverse climatic effects
Due to the effects of increased global warming, we are witnessing extreme weather conditions
across the world with winters becoming colder and summers getting hotter. Energy efficient
Source:The energy saving trust

2. windows are a smart choice for the savvy homeowner as it protects your home against climate
change.Yet anotherfalloutof climate change are holesinthe ozone layercreatedthroughreleaseof
chlorine,bromineandothertoxicgasesinindustrializedsocieties. The depletion of the ozone layer
has resultedinlarge amountsof harmful ultraviolet B rays to pass through, resulting in an alarming
increase of skin cancers and cataracts in humans.
In the UK alone, around 13,300 cases of malignant melanoma are being diagnosed each year since
2011 and 102,000 patients of non-melanoma skin cancer (source: cancerresearchuk.org). People
aged65 or more are at increasedriskof these diseasesthanyoungermembersof oursociety. At the
same time, we all know that sunlight can be good for us and is an important element in increasing
our bodies supply of vitamin D, serotonin – the ‘happiness’ chemical and testosterone in men.
Energy efficient windows therefore play an important role to ensure you can enjoy sunlight
streamingintoyourhome,withoutthe harmful effects. There are also many glazing options, which
include tints, gas fills, and reflective coatings. Again, these are all used to help save you on your
heating and cooling costs.
Other advantages of energy efficient windows
Apart fromthe benefitstoyourhome discussed above, energy efficient windows have a few more
advantages that you should consider. Most energy efficient windows now incorporate UPVC or
composite frames. This reduces gaps in your windows and improves you home by reducing the
number of draughts or cold spots. Additionally, these double glazed windows are instrumental in
keeping out external noise pollution. This is particularly advantageous if you live near a busy high
streetor ina noisyneighbourhood.Lastly,energyefficientwindowssubstantiallyreduce the amount
of condensation inside the house. This means lesser moulds and damp spots inside your home –
another common health hazard.
Government Grants
There’s a total of £540million available in the form of government grants for energy saving home
improvements overthe nextthree years to eligible homeowners in England and Wales declared in
2014. Households could be granted up to £7,600 to improve the energy efficiency of their homes,
which includes £500 if you have moved into a new home within the last 12 months. Older homes
which are less energy efficient and are more difficult to treat would benefit from larger grants
The Energy Companies Obligation,orECOalsoprovidesfundsto eligible homes for energy efficient
improvements,whichincludeenergy efficient windows. These funds are usually available through
the energysuppliersand targetedatvulnerable orlow income households although all households
may apply. So, if you’re thinking of improving your home’s energy efficiency by installing energy
efficientwindows,youcouldbe eligible for a grant to help with the costs. Energy efficiency savings
are substantial and many homes across the UK saved £175 in energy costs on average last year by
installing energy efficient windows

3. So,how muchcouldyou save by installingenergyefficientdouble glazing windows in your home? A
study conducted by the Energy Saving Trust looked at homes across England, Scotland and
Wales that installed double glazing energy efficient windows to replace all their single glazing
windows. Here is a table that summarizes the savings generated by these households:
Energy
rating
Detached Semi detached Mid terrace Bungalow Flat
A rated £120 - £160 £85 - £110 £65 - £90 £55 - £75 £40 - £60
B rated £110 - £145 £75 - £100 £60 - £80 £50 - £70 £40 - £55
C rated £110 - £135 £75 - £95 £60 - £75 £50 - £65 £40 - £50
These savings are for typical gas-heated homes.
How to choose energy efficient windows that are right for your home
There are manyfactors to considerwhenlookingforthe rightwindowsforyourhome.Of course,we
have earlier spoken about the type of glass: ‘low-e glass’ which is important to look for. Efficient
windows are also gas filled between the double panes of glass. Usually rare gases such as Argon,
Xenonor Kryptonare good choicesby the manufacturer as they do not conduct heat and also block
out sound.Pane spacersare used to keep the panes apart. A good quality energy efficient window
ensures that almost no metal is used in these. These are usually called warm edge spacers.
Frames are also an important feature of these windows. We have earlier discussed UPVC and
composite frameswhichare the most common. In some cases frames can be wooden if your home
is located in a conservation area where the original windows may have had wooden frames.
Aluminium or steel frames are sometimes used as well.
The energy rating of your window is also important and is based on a grading scheme from A to G
that measures the energy saving efficiency of the product. This is monitored by the British
Fenestration Rating Council (BFRC). Visit BFRC for more information.
Ventilation within your home
If your home does not have adequate ventilation, this could also result in condensation and the
formationof dampspots.As a general rule,homeswithinadequate ventilation,heatingorinsulation
will develop problems with mould and damp spots. If condensation starts to build up around the
windows, there is a high possibility of your home having a damp problem. If your home does not
have much backgroundventilation,lookforenergyefficient windows that incorporate trickle vents
to let in a controlled amount of ventilation. This is usually a small flap which can be turned up or

4. down to let in air. Lastly, if you’ve started to notice condensation in between the panes of glass in
your double-glazing units then it is likely that the seal is broken, and the unit will need replacing.
What should I do next?
So,if you’ve readthisfar,youprobablyrealise thatenergysavingwindows could be an integral part
of a solutiontosave yourenergycosts,reduce yourcarbon footprint,reduce dampinside yourhome
as well as eliminate unwanted noise pollution and screen out harmful solar radiation inside your
home.The fact that there isa large choice in the marketis both good and bad news. The good news
isthat you dohave a choice betweendifferentbrands, features, qualities and price points. The bad
newsisthat much of thiscouldbe confusingwhenmaking a decision regarding the product and the
installer.
So, the best strategy is to first read up as much information as you can on the subject to help you
make an informeddecision.Next,lookforavettedandreliablelocal service provider. The glass and
glazing federation has a lot of useful information on their website to find a member who works in
your area. You alsoneedto ensure that yournew windows are fitted to the government’s building
regulations standards. A person who can advise you on this can be found at the official competent
person’s scheme.Youcanalsocontact your local PerfectCrystal Windowsrepresentative by clicking
on this link to get free advice. Happy hunting and hopefully you’ll have a warm energy efficient
winter.
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