How Green Are Your Windows

Why Double Glazing is the Sensible Energy Efficient Option for Replacement Windows.

What, you might ask, has the double glazing industry got to offer the ‘green agenda;’ the answer to that question is, ‘a great deal.’

Despite the generally accepted belief that most of Britain’s carbon emissions come from the aviation industry and gas guzzling cars, the truth is that lighting and heating buildings generates 50% of Britain's carbon dioxide production. With that knowledge, it instantly becomes clear that the double glazing industry actually plays a major part in the greening of this pleasant land. And so do you.

Whether you are moving or improving, green and environmental issues are now an important factor for consideration; witness the Energy Performance Certificate, part of the Home Information Pack, which is now a compulsory requirement for anybody selling a home in England or Wales. The Pack must include the Energy Performance Certificate, which includes information on the heating systems, insulation, or double glazing of the house.

You might resent the Government pressure on everybody to sign up to the green agenda but the fact is that, as you have no choice in the matter, you might as well sign up to it. .

The good thing is that when you install double glazing in your home, heat loss and wasted energy will be cut by approximately 50%. Good news for you and the environment.

Double glazed windows work by trapping air between two panes of glass; this trapped air is an effective barrier against anything trying to get in through the windows, and anything trying to get out. So you won’t be deafened by traffic noise, children squealing, or neighbours arguing; neither will you be heating the street and garden.

Once you’ve got your double glazing installed – which will take one to two days – you will immediately begin saving on your energy bills to the tune of £110 a year. You will also reduce your carbon dioxide output by 720kg a year. If everyone in the UK who needed double glazing fitted it we'd save the equivalent of around 770,000 households' CO2 emissions; if my maths is right, that equates to approximately 55.5 million kilograms per year (Energy Saving Trust).

There are also rumbling that the government are debating the introduction of policies and incentives to stimulate demand for energy-saving home improvements. Given the data above, installing double glazing must surely be part of such a scheme.

Apparently, it pays to be green.