Energy Savings Week 22nd-28th October 2007

Are you serious about saving heat, installing carbon neutral windows that are lead free.......well read on, you may be surprised.


Homes and offices (buildings) account for 50% of the carbon emissions the other half being transport. Of the heat lost from a normal dwelling, anywhere between 10 and 20% is lost through windows.


We're all familiar with low energy light bulbs (they use less energy) and loft insulation (that saves heat being lost through the roof), but most people believe that all "double glazing" (or secondary glazing for that matter), is the same....well its not and the Government should reward the good homeowners who wish to improve their homes by reducing the VAT on the most efficient window products.


Okay we can all do our bit, we can all look to "save our 20%" as the government wants us to, but where's the encouragement to do so? Energy efficient windows carry the same VAT as normal double glazing, quite simply there's no encouragement from the government to install anything other than standard products (which lose heat), and that's wrong, so we've outlined some facts to help understand just how efficient our sash windows really are.


But why restrict energy savings to just 20% when you can save 100%, yes our very best sash window (our A rated sash) is carbon neutral, regaining more heat than is lost!!!!


That's worth repeating.


Just think, you can save all the costs associated with lost energy through your existing windows, whether they're single, double or secondary glazed, these A rated sash windows save more (or capture more free solar energy) than any conventional window........irrespective of the framing material, timber, metal, or plastic.


Please let us explain.


U values have been used to measure the amount of heat lost through building materials for years. Typically 5.8 was used as the measurement for single glazed windows (being 5.8 units of heat, lost every hour, for each sq metre of glass, for each 1 degree difference in temperature, between the outside and inside)


Standard air filled "double glazing" 16, 20 or 24mm sealed units, first had a U value of 2.8, reducing heat loss by half, a significant reduction.


But measuring just the heat lost through the glass omits the heat lost through the frame or the heat lost through the gaps between the frame members. That's why today we must measure the window as a whole (no pun intended!)


Today we can compare window efficiencies the same way as we do washing machines, or dish washers, windows today have energy ratings, they have energy labels and the best performing ones are recommended by the energy savings trust.


So how would your existing windows compare?


Well single glazed (losing 5.8 units each hour) would simply not make the scale, and standard secondary or air filled "double glazing" (losing 2.8 units each hour) would only register an E or F, a long way short of the standard expected by the energy savings trust.


If you are serious about conserving energy and our resources, then look for A, B or C energy ratings, C rated has a window U value of 1.3 (that's a massive 74% reduction against single glazed windows, and the A rated is "0", its energy neutral, it neither gains nor loses heat, so compared to any other existing window IT SAVES ALL THE HEAT that a standard window would otherwise lose.


The Energy Savings Trust only recommends Energy Efficient products, those rated C or better, so they're the only ones that can legally carry the Energy Savings Recommended swing tag logo. All Bygone Collection sash windows are C rated as standard, if you require B or A rated, they're available as options.


So if you seriously want to reduce carbon and save all the energy currently being lost through your existing windows, then contact us now on 01376 510410