The Energy Bill will allow householders to pay for environmentally-friendly improvements to their homes, such as double-glazing and loft insulation, from the savings they make by using less gas and electricity under a new Green Deal.

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne has described the scheme as “the first of its kind anywhere in the world” and has said it would insure against future energy price rises while at the same time helping the poorest families save money on their bills and escape fuel poverty.

The Bill, which has cross-party support, was passed by the Lords in March and peers accepted without votes a series of amendments introduced in the Commons.”

The technology used to design modern replacement windows and doors has tackled the key issues that have a major impact on how effective your windows and doors are at keeping your property warm. The main consideration has been to reduce the heat that is lost through poorly insulated windows and doors.

Discerning homeowners appreciate that despite the fact that the new Building Regulations legally require both property owners and installers to fit thermally efficient products, there remains a variance in the quality of windows and doors available in the UK today. Recent technological advances now mean that the latest “A” rated fenestration products far out perform the majority of double glazed windows already installed, good news for reducing carbon emissions, the environment and household running costs.

Each part of a window or door contributes to its overall insulation. From the quality and design of the seals; to the thermal performance of the frames and to the type of double glazed unit used. Windows and doors with the largest expanse of glass will naturally allow more light into a home and therefore these rooms can benefit from ‘solar gain’. Heat gained in this way reduces your reliance on central heating to warm your home.

By choosing the best performing windows and doors you can help make a real difference eco-wise, whilst saving on running costs for years to come. So how does one recognise the best performing double glazing systems? Well, under the guise of the British Fenestration Rating Council, the Government introduced ‘Window Energy Ratings’ (WER’s) to make it easier for homeowners to identify the most energy-efficient windows.

In the same way that fridges, freezers, washing machines and other household appliances carry the widely recognised energy efficiency labels, the windows you buy for your home must now be labelled to prove that they will comply with the new higher energy efficiency set out in the Building Regulations that came into effect on 1st October 2010.

Energy Rated UPVC Replacement Windows

A window energy rating of ‘C’ or a maximum combined U-Value of 1.6 W/m2K is now the new minimum legal standard for replacement windows. U-value is a measure of thermal efficiency, where the lower the figure, the greater the level of efficiency. Some double glazing suppliers may say their product achieves a centre-pane U-Value of 1.2 W/m2K. However, don’t be duped, as it is the overall combined U-Value of the window frame material, internal spacer bars, gaskets and double glazed sealed units that matters.

Frankly most UK made sealed units without any frame can achieve a 1.2 W/m2K centre pane U-Value, so for the most thermally efficient products ensure you ask to see the energy rated certificate for the particular combination of glass, frames and components you are being offered to check they have been independently verified as collectively achieving the thermal efficiency required by law.

According to the Energy Saving Trust, double glazing cuts heat lost through windows by half and installing Energy Saving Recommended double glazing can save around £110 a year on your heating bills. Double glazing can save a household around 720kg of carbon dioxide (CO2) a year.

Concern over the environment is making homeowners far more aware than ever of the value of energy efficient windows. Consequently independent double glazing manufacturers Hazlemere Windows only fabricates, supplies and installs products with the highest possible energy ratings, plus offers an “A” rated aluminium replacement window recommended and approved by the Energy Saving Trust.

WER’s and low U-Values are the clearest indication of how well a window system performs in terms of insulation. Quite simply, the higher the rating, the more energy efficient the window is so the greater the thermal performance the more energy saved, saving you money on your heating bills too.

Modern double glazing can assist the environment, particularly if the external glass pane is specified as self-cleaning glass. Most contemporary self cleaning products feature a dual action that harnesses the forces of nature to keep the glass free from organic dirt, providing a surface that requires less cleaning, whilst also at the same time delivering clearer, better-looking glass. Designed to last for the life-time of your windows, doors, conservatory or orangery, self-cleaning glass is an excellent long term investment, as over a period it will save time and money, plus from the cleaning standpoint it is far safer than ordinary glass, particularly for hard to reach roof lantern light windows, conservatory or orangery roofs.

It isn’t always easy to understand what we can do to reduce our ‘carbon footprint’, however as members of the Energy Saving Trust Hazlemere Windows want to ‘do our bit’. We are pragmatic enough to realise that we cannot change the world, but we do believe that how we operate our business can make a significant difference over time.

We are focused on recycling as much of the waste that we as a business generate and are always looking for more ways to reduce the impact our business has on the environment. The windows and doors we remove from our customers’ homes are broken down into recyclable and non-recyclable materials, so that we effectively reduce what we send to landfill; wherever possible we print on recycled paper; we collect all of our cardboard waste and return it for recycling; to save paper we ensure that most of our brochures are available to view on-line; we source many of our materials from UK manufacturers to keep transportation to a minimum and, perhaps most importantly, we offer our customers genuinely eco-friendly windows and doors.

As well as offering superb thermal performance, Hazlemere aluminium eco-friendly windows and doors are infinitely recyclable. According to ALFED (Aluminium Federation), up to 98% of the aluminium in a building can be reclaimed for recycling at the end of its life.

Around 60% of the world’s primary aluminium is smelted using power generated from hydro-electric plants, which is in turn a natural and renewable energy source. This power does not produce harmful emissions but nonetheless the industry has further driven the use of aluminium obtained from ‘secondary’ or recycled material which requires just 5% of the original energy used during primary production.

We have found the Energy Saving Trust website to be an invaluable source of information for homeowners wishing to reduce the impact their activities make on the environment. You can visit them online at www.energysavingtrust.org.uk

To find out more about environmentally friendly windows and doors from experienced experts freephone 0500 011561 or see them on display at Hazlemere’s 8,000 square feet home improvement showroom in High Wycombe.
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Invest in Energy Efficient Energy Rated Replacement Double Glazed Windows

For the technical minded, as an example of the quality of UPVC windows available nowadays, here’s a list of reasons why the energy rated UPVC windows supplied and fitted by Hazlemere Windows genuinely stand out from the crowd, both energy efficiency, and therefore energy saving wise and security wise too:

* All windows are internally glazed so that glass cannot be removed from the outside

* Impact resistant 70mm UPVC frame with 3mm external wall

* The multi-chamber profile delivers excellent thermal and acoustic insulation

* Fabricated with an integral drainage channel

* All outward opening windows incorporate a secure night vent facility

* Multi-point security hardware and locking handles fitted as standard

* Corners and crucifix joints are mitred and heat welded for a complete weatherseal

* Tough, stainless steel-coated friction stay hinges for durability

By installing Hazlemere Windows latest energy saving ‘A’ rated UPVC windows you will improve the overall energy efficiency performance of your home which will not only reduce your heating bills and carbon emissions but it could improve the value of your property and speed up any future sale, should you ever decide to move house
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Taking a Masters Degree in Sustainable Architecture - Ms Hawton-Mead of Brighton

The article stated that Ms Hawton-Mead bought the property in 1999 in a pretty poor state without central heating. Like most of us put in a new kitchen and a new bathroom, and then went back to her usual way of life. Ruth Bloomfield in her article goes on to explain that “over the years that followed Hawton-Mead’s interest in sustainability began to grow. She already had a background in building renovation and design, and decided to take a masters degree in sustainable architecture. She now works as a sustainability consultant offering advice to individuals and businesses, and last year decided it was time to practise what she preached.She had already adjusted her lifestyle and between 2008 and 2009 reduced the house’s annual carbon emissions from 2.5 tons a year to 2 tons a year by simple measures such as keeping the heating down, switching off lights vigilantly, and taking showers not baths.”It was a moral stand, I suppose,” she says. “I am not a wasteful person by nature.”

Then, over four months last year, she stepped things up. Double glazing, internal wall insulation, roof insulation, under-floor insulation and solar PV panels were installed at the house, which was also rigorously draught-proofed.

The project has reduced her carbon emissions to a projected 0.7 tons a year – an impressive 72 per cent reduction on where she started. She is also confident that her solar panels will free her from future electricity bills – and she hopes to turn a modest profit by selling power back into the grid. Gas bills will be significantly reduced thanks to the insulation work. However the cost of this work came to around £38,000 and will take, she calculates, around 50 years to pay for itself.

“I have not done it for that reason,” she says. “I want my home to be comfortable and I want lower carbon emissions because I don’t what to have a big environmental impact on the planet and I want to be an example of what can be done.”

Whilst £38,000 may seem an awful lot of investment to fork out, one has to remember that the property had no central heating, no replacement double glazing and musty old carpets, so would have be susceptible to rising damp and constant deterioration had Ms Hawton-Mead not spent the money. My guess is that even if she sold her home now, she’d more than get her money back as whoever bought it would know they would have very small energy bills going forward.
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The Press Association stated that the House of Lords was told that “consumers will have to pay for modifications, which include insulation and double-glazing, with the savings they would otherwise make from lower energy bills.”

Also that government proposals announced to the 2nd chamber by Energy and Climate Change Minister Lord Marland would also mean “energy companies would be obliged to reduce carbon emissions, while wind turbines would be connected to the UK’s grid.”

Furthermore the Energy Bill, which gained an unopposed second reading in the Lords, also aims to ensure sufficient gas will be available during emergencies and provides a “stable and predictable market”. To pay for the environmentally-friendly alterations costing up to £6,500, homes would be fitted with a meter detailing the energy saving as a result of the modifications, Lord Marland said.

The Press Association understands that “payments would then be taken from that saving over a period of up to 25 years to cover the cost of the insulation or double glazing.”

“The instalments would never be greater than the cost of the energy saved, removing any risk to the consumer, the minister added. When the home transferred ownership, responsibility for the instalments would transfer with it, he said.
In rented accommodation, tenants would be responsible for paying the instalments but if landlords refused to make the alterations the Government would look at legislating to force them to make improvements.”

The Government estimates the number of people working in insulation could rise from 27,000 at present to 250,000 within the next decade. Lord Marland said the Bill would “stimulate innovation, competition and the supply chain” while at the same time safe-guarding consumers if an energy company went in to insolvency. In those cases their energy would be provided for until they had been transferred to a different supplier.”

“The Green Deal will help reduce energy bills for the long term and make our houses more energy efficient,” Lord Marland said. Lets hope he is right and this is not a smoke and mirrors policy, but instead a modern workable approach to cutting carbon emissions and reducing our carbon footprint.
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Clean Green Energy Being Generated By A Wind Turbine Farm in the UK

The article on the Telegraph website suggests that “The ‘new green deal,’ that aims to make all homes more energy efficient, will be pushed through Parliament. This will enable households to take out loans from the council or supermarket to fit insulation or double glazing and pay back the money through savings on their energy bill. The Government is also looking at centralising the electricity market so that energy companies are forced to build more wind turbines and other renewable power generators in order to meet climate change targets.”

I can not see how “forcing” companies is going to work. Who is going to enforce it? The UK Government is not meeting its own carbon emission targets, so seems to want UK home owners to help meet it’s own commitments to reduce carbon emissons by “encouraging” them to go into debt, the very thing they say we should not do! If we do genuinely want to reduce our carbon footprint, then I suggest it should be done within our means, as any “savings” on energy bills are not easy to quantify, plus all relative, if as predicted, energy costs soar, leaving thousands more in the UK in fuel poverty.
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Now whilst the article primarily is focused on properties in Northern France, the principles involved in reducing heat loss and saving energy, apply equally to homes in the UK. For example Alison Cannet states that “a house that is not correctly insulated loses a significant amount of heat through walls, windows, floor, roof and chimneys. Even a well-heated home can feel cold in some places if the walls and windows are not insulated, because they lose heat to the outside and feel cold on the inside. Putting in proper insulation will help keep up the interior temperature, meaning that costly heat is not wasted. As a bonus, it can also improve your acoustic insulation so that neighbourhood noises become less of a problem.”

By taking these rudimentary steps to cut heat loss, we can dramatically increase improve our energy efficiency, cutting our carbon footprint at the same time. Alison Cannet in the article goes on to explain that “windows are often the weak point when it comes to older buildings and improving their insulation and cutting heating bills.”

To be fair she does look at all the options, stating that “the classic solution is taking out the whole window and replacing it with double-glazing, involving two sheets of glass with air or gas sandwiched between. A cheaper version is secondary glazing, where you fix on a second layer of glass or plastic on to an existing window frame.” “Fitting secondary glazing typically involves attaching an aluminium frame around the existing window, holding glass panes that can be slid or tilted to open them.”

The important thing is to insulate your home, especially with climate change seemingly causing warmer summers and colder, longer winters. I’ve personally decided enough is enough, and even though my entire house has aluminium double glazing fitted by Hazlemere Windows in 1994, I am getting quotes to fit deeper loft insulation and cavity wall insulation, as I need to reduce our heating bills by reducing the amount of energy we are losing both through the walls and loft cavities, even though the loft space does have some insulation, but clearly not enough for the longer colder winters that sadly appear to be on the way!
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Commenting on the content of his speech Mr Huhne stated “I want Britain to say goodbye forever to leaky lofts and chilly draughts. At a time of increasing gas prices energy efficiency is a no-brainer. It’s also a massive economic and job opportunity which could help Britain’s economy turn the corner. With up to 100,000 green jobs up for grabs over the next five years, and even more in the long term, this is about growing our economy in a way that’s good for jobs, the environment and energy security.”

Nothing wrong with good intentions Mr Huhne as long as they work, are thought through and well funded. According to Chris Huhne “A quarter of UK carbon emissions come from housing. We use more energy heating our homes than Sweden. Our homes may be our castles. But they shouldn’t cost a king’s ransom to run. In houses across the country, boilers are firing up earlier than they need to. Burning more gas than they have to. Producing more emissions than they should do. And all because our outdated housing stock leaks heat and wastes carbon.”

The Coalition’s response is “the Green Deal, a radical programme to bring our houses out of the dark ages.”. As independent double glazing manufacturers and installers, who specialise in supplying and fitting energy rated, energy efficient double glazing, as well as triple glazing, we can only hope Mr Huhne’s Green Deal works!

He says that “Over the next two years we expect to insulate 3.5 million homes, with a renewed focus on those in fuel poverty – and those who need it most. Then, from 2012 onwards, energy saving packages worth thousands will be installed in millions of homes, with the capital and interest costs covered by savings on energy bills. And we will look at how we can apply the Green Deal model to businesses, too – enabling them to cut carbon, and cut costs.”

I am not so sure as to his claim that the Green Deal will create 100,000 new jobs mind. More likely it will help keep folk employed, which in itself is to be welcomed, plus Mr Huhne cannot guarantee that the majority of any new jobs created will go to British workers, so as always the British taxpayer will reserve judgement as to whether any government spends our money wisely.

However, on the positive side the Energy and Climate Change Secretary of State reckons that “The most inefficient households could save £550 a year on their fuel bills; if every household took up the Green Deal, spending on gas would fall by £2.5 billion per year.” And as the Minster states “double-glazing your windows really can improve the UK’s energy security.”

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, George Clarke, presenter of Channel 4 Television’s “The Home Show” and “The Restoration Man” explained: “When you look at the potential energy savings, every house in the country ought to be double glazed.”

Mr Clarke has provided advice to consumers about how they can reduce energy bills and make their day to day living more energy efficient. He added: “There is a perception that eco-designed homes are newbuilds, with a lot of hi-tech modern features. But all homes need to become eco-homes if we are to reduce carbon emissions in line with the Kyoto Protocol.”

The article posted by Mark Stephens on the Energy Saving Trust website highlighted how much energy, fuel and money can be saved by installing home improvements such as energy efficient double glazing and loft insulation.

There are of course other ways to ways to save energy and running costs. Key ones include cavity wall insulation, loft insulation door and floor insulation, whilst reducing draughts.

Statistics from the Energy Saving Trust
* The amount of heat lost in homes annually through uninsulated lofts and cavity walls is enough to heat over 1.6 million homes for a year.

*If everyone in the UK that could installed cavity wall insulation, we would cut CO2 emissions by nearly 4 million tonnes. That’s enough CO2 to fill over 22 million double-decker buses or fill Wembley stadium 500 times.

*If every household in the UK, that could installed cavity wall insulation, it would save around £700 million a year or enough energy to heat 900,000 homes for the same period.

*If everyone in the UK installed loft insulation up to 270mm thickness, the financial saving would pay the gas bills of around 770,000 families for a year.

*We would also save nearly 3 million tonnes of CO2 per year, the equivalent saving of taking nearly 1 million UK cars off the road.

It is obviously up to property owners to invest in insulating their premises to reduce running costs, reduce their carbon footprint and save energy. As the saying goes “no pain, no gain”, as capital outlay is required if one wants to address heat loss, improve energy efficiency, thereby saving long term on energy bills.