“The Carbon Trust estimates that investing in energy efficiency measures yields a return of between 15 and 17 per cent and nowhere is that investment more required than in buildings – commercial, public and domestic.” says an article on the telegraph.co.uk website by Andrew Charlesworth entitled Talking Energy: energy efficiency, where he goes on to state that “Buildings in the UK account for about 44 per cent of our carbon emissions, says the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. Building improvements would save an equivalent of 36 million tCO2e (tons of CO2 equivalent) per year, and enhancing the efficiency of lighting and appliances could save 31 million tCO2e, according to McKinsey, a consultancy.”
“Energy efficiency must not be regarded as some kind of soft option or nice to have, but rather as a rigorous and vigorous action programme to reduce substantially the country’s demand for energy,” wrote former energy minister and MP for Croydon North Malcolm Wicks in his report Energy Security: A National Challenge in a Changing World, published last summer.
Andrew Charlesworth goes on to explain that “While new-build projects present the biggest opportunity to reduce emissions per building, in the UK 60 per cent of the premises we will still be using in 2050 are already built, according to the Carbon Trust. Heating and lighting domestic buildings account for about two-thirds of our emissions from buildings, so clearly this is where one solution lies to save money and carbon.”
“National Energy Action, a charity that campaigns for the eradication of fuel poverty (defined as households spending more than 10 per cent of their income on fuel), believes the Government should initiate a comprehensive retrofit of UK housing.”
“Improving the thermal efficiency of the housing stock is the core intervention that can be made in the eradication of fuel poverty,” says Jenny Saunders, chief executive of NEA.
“There is already an established measure of a building’s thermal efficiency — the Energy Performance Certificate, which is mandatory for houses sold after October 2008. An average 80-year-old terraced home with 100m2 floor space has an energy efficiency of only about 50 per cent.” states Andrew in his extremely helpful article article. He goes on to encourage us to improve the energy efficiency of our homes, which “can be increased up to 80 per cent by conventional retrofit measures, such as loft and cavity wall insulation, double glazing and low-energy lighting. Saunders argues that every UK home needs to be upgraded to at least this level, and preferably to be 81-91 per cent energy efficient.”
CATAGORY|Carbon Footprint, Saving Energy
Whether you are thinking of buying or selling a home, it is wise to give some advanced thought to what you should look for/need in a HIPS pack. An EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) is an important document that is required. What are Energy Performance Certificates?
If you want to impress a prospective purchaser, and make your home as saleable as possible, it is wise to ensure your property is as highly energy efficient as possible, to enable your property to get a decent rating, making it a more attractive proposition than a property that will cost a fortune to heat and have a huge carbon footprint. If you want your home to have a decently rated Energy Performance Certificate, ensure that your boiler has been serviced and that it is an energy efficient as possible, your loft insulated, walls cavity filled and make sure your windows and doors have been double glazed with energy efficient glass.
Likewise, if you are looking to purchase a home, these energy saving measures will make your new property much more economic to run, whilst reducing your own carbon foorprint. As long as such important energy efficient home improvements have all been installed, the HIPS pack provided by the owner should contain an Energy Performance Certificate with an impressive rating.
The Directgov.uk website explains that “EPCs carry ratings that compare the current energy efficiency and carbon dioxide emissions with potential figures that your home could achieve. Potential figures are calculated by estimating what the energy efficiency and carbon dioxide emissions would be if energy saving measures were put in place. The rating measures the energy and carbon emission efficiency of your home using a grade from ‘A’ to ‘G’. An ‘A’ rating is the most efficient, while ‘G’ is the least efficient. The average efficiency grade to date is ‘D’. All homes are measured using the same calculations, so you can compare the energy efficiency of different properties.”
“An EPC is required by law when a building is constructed, sold or put up for rent. If you are a landlord or homeowner and need to provide an EPC, you’ll need to contact an accredited domestic energy assessor. They will carry out the assessment and produce the certificate. The accreditation scheme makes sure that domestic energy assessors have the necessary skills and are able to carry out the survey to agreed standards.” Find out how to get an Energy Performance Certificate
Why you need a Home Information Pack (HIPS)
“A HIP is a set of documents that provides the buyer with key information on the property and must be provided by the seller or the seller’s agent. It is a legal requirement to have a HIP and you can’t market your property without one. The HIP lets buyers see important information about the property at the start of the process, free of charge. This means there is less chance of buyers becoming aware of any surprises at the end of the process. The HIP can help reduce delays and extra expense to the buyer and seller.” (Directgov.uk website)
For Freehold UK properties a HIP pack must contain a HIP index, the new Property Information Questionnaire (PIQ), a Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) or Predicted Energy Assessment (PEA), sustainability information (required for newly built homes), sale statement, evidence of title, standard searches (local authority and drainage and water). If the property is Leasehold, all the above is required in addition to a copy of the lease.
With saving energy an every increasing priority for governments due to the environmental benefits, it is wise to either buy an energy efficient home that has a low carbon footprint, which will save you money off your energy bills, or improve and invest in the energy efficiency of your existing home by making it as insulated as possible, reducing your carbon emmisions, which if and when you decide to sell, will give it a decent EPC and more likely to fetch its market value.
CATAGORY|Carbon Footprint, Home Improvements, Saving Energy, Saving Money
In an article on the UIA website entitled “Green properties could make bills cheaper for home insurance customers” by Victor Onuohae he states that “Home insurance customers could make alterations to their property to make it eco-friendly – and may, as a result, enjoy significant savings on their energy bills.”
Chairman of the climate change committee Lord Adair Turner has urged people to take “a whole house approach” and splash out on making their home greener.
But Gordon Miller, founder of whatgreenhome.com, suggested that: “Lord Turner is putting the cart before the horse a little bit here. Most people in the UK haven’t even done the basics yet”.
Simple home improvements, such as adding insulation and choosing an efficient boiler, can save homeowners cash on bills.
“Double glazing and cavity wall fillings can also have the desired effect – on the environment, on bills and also on home insurance premiums as double glazing, for example, makes a house more secure.”
“Earlier this month Lord Adair Turner also claimed that by the 2020s Britain will have to decarbonise its electricity output.” says Victor Onuohae of UIA (Insurance) Ltd
CATAGORY|Saving Energy, Saving Money
Whether you have a single glazed window in a property or a single glazed window with secondary glazing or a modern double glazed window, or even a super duper triple glazed window, they all perform the same function of forming a barrier between the elements and the interior, in effect acting as transparent walls.
A cross section of a wall can either be a thick slab of building material or normally two walls with a cavity in between, as these double walls provide insulated protection between the interior and exterior. The air between the walls allows the outside wall to be cold while the inside surface of the wall can be at room temperature.
For example, when building a conservatory, it is important to remember that the double glazing you choose for the sides should be as energy efficient as possible, as you want it to perform the same task as double brick cavity insulated walls as far as possible. Whilst a conservatory can not be as energy efficient as a brick built extension, you will save on your heating bills by opting for Low E Argon filled sealed units with a thermal break. Yes, these cost a bit more, but you need to remember the double glazed windows and doors are acting double walls, so the higher the specification you go for, the better energy efficiency you will get.
UPVC Conservatory With Cavity Brick Dwarf Wall
If you need convincing, go into a greenhouse in winter, which you will find not warm, even if heated! Given this, why would you want to put up with single pane windows on your property, especially when you know money and energy is pumping out of them? Nowadays, builders layer walls with brick, plywood, sheetrock and studs etc., then finish the job with a layer of insulation, so why would you want the windows in your home to be any different?
In the past builders made a hole in a wall, filled it with a frame and then put in a layer of glass. Glass is no match for what the elements can throw at you. Nowadays, modern replacement double glazing does the same thing we ask of our double walls. The outer pane is dependent on the weather, whilst the inner pane depends more on what the room temperature is. The only reason the inner pane can keep warmer drier air in, is because the outer pane acts as the first line of defence.
As well as being more aethestically pleasing, and adding value and saleability to your property, today’s energy rated double glazing will also pay for itself over time if you stay in the property long enough. The money and energy saved by installing energy efficient, energy saving windows will help off-set the initial investment outlay. To ensure you get double glazing products that do save you significant money off your heating bills, make sure you install windows that have a British Fenestration Rating Council (BFRC) rating of “C” or above. The most efficient double glazing in the marketplace as endorsed by the Energy Saving Trust and the BFRC is either “A” rated aluminium windows or “A” rated UPVC windows, whichever you think best suits your property. If you are thinking of investing in double glazed windows, don’t settle for less than “C” rated or above, as in my opinion, BFRC “C” energy rated double glazed windows will deliver you the best possible return on your investment.
CATAGORY|Saving Energy, Saving Money, Windows & Doors
There has been alot of online activity from consumers to find out whether or not there is in fact a government national windows scrappage scheme. Such a financially helpful scheme would not only assist hard pressed householders, during these recessionary times, but also act as an incentive to property owners to fit the latest technologically advanced energy efficient energy saving double glazed windows, as well as be a much needed boost to double glazing installers, challenged by rising raw material costs and a mature declining market.
Two national double glazing companies currently have their own sales and marketing “discount” schemes to try and generate new sales under a “national scrappage scheme” banner. However as Renegade Conservatory Guy points out on his blog it was only a matter of time before they “created their own window scrappage scheme”, and going by some of the comments by consumers on his blog on the subject, some seem very unimpressed by such clear marketing ploys.
Sadly, there is no government windows scrappage scheme……yet, but you can join the campaign led by the Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF) by signing up the the number 10 petition submitted by Nigel Rees of the GGF. So far 1,730 have signed the following petition, which has a closing date of 24th March 2010. “We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to introduce a window scrappage scheme in the UK to improve the energy efficiency of the existing housing stock.” Sign the petition
Obviously, if a government funded national windows scrappage scheme did ever come into being, it would hopefully act as an incentive to install energy efficient energy saving “green” windows. Under the proposed GGF scheme it is hoped that householders will be encouraged to scrap their old poorly insulated windows in return for a £1,000 grant towards the installation costs of new, professionally installed, energy efficient double glazed ones. The benefits to consumers would include the £1,000 saving, a facelift for their property, lower energy bills and a reduction in their carbon footprint as a consequence of more energy efficient homes. Both the environment and Government carbon reduction targets would also benefit with the reduction of emissions from the existing housing stock.
Consequently, the Buckinghamshire based Hazlemere Window Company fully support the GGF’s call for a national window scrappage scheme, particularly after the proven success of the national car scrappage scheme, which reportedly has accounted for one in five of all new car sales over recent months!
The GGF is a recognised authority for employers and companies within the flat glass, glazing, window and home improvement industries and is a trade association for companies that make, supply or fit flat glass and related products. The GGF also provides helpful information for homeowners, professional specifiers and anyone seeking professional and unbiased information on any aspect of glass and glazing in the UK. The GGF is a promoter of energy efficient glazing and the GGF’s Carbon Calculator enables homeowners and others to see how much money and carbon can be saved by installing new energy efficient windows.
Energy efficient windows (EEWs) can make a massive difference by improving the thermal performance of the existing UK housing stock. Nigel Rees, Chief Executive of the GGF, commented recently that “Energy Efficient Windows (EEWs) have a huge role to play in improving the thermal performance of the existing housing stock”. “EEWs can reduce emissions by 10% from dwellings nationally and reduce national domestic energy expenditure by 10%.”
In a recent online press release entitled “Will the GGF proposed national scrappage scheme save our planet” the issue of dealing with PVCu waste was rightly raised, suggesting that if the proposed scheme is adopted, it is anticipated that this would trigger an upturn in demand for the latest generation of double glazed windows and doors. No doubt any upturn in sales would trigger questions about the disposal of old PVC windows and doors in an environmentally responsible way. Despite the fact that it is often said that PVC is not recyclable, this is not the case. Firms like Ecoplas recycle PVC. As the press release states “There is a range of methods already available for deriving residual value from used plastics products. In fact, PVC, like all other thermoplastic materials, can be recycled relatively straightforwardly.”
Managing Director of Ecoplas, Ian Tippett commented on the recent proposal. “Whilst I feel it is a good idea to incentivise homeowners to make energy efficient changes, it is equally as important to prevent post consumer windows and doors going to landfill. Our company specialises in this area and it is both environmentally beneficial and cost effective. At Ecoplas we have the capability to process old window frames and convert them to reusable material which can be used as a raw material in the manufacture of new building products. We are keen to expand our operations in this area and to support companies wishing to show a real commitment to deal with their post consumer waste responsibly”.
Whilst the GGF proposed window scrappage scheme will obviously not save the planet, it would, if introduced, send the right signal to consumers that the government is committed to encouraging and supporting energy efficiency, reducing the UK’s carbon emmissions and helping homeowners save energy. So, lets have a government national windows scrappage scheme please!
CATAGORY|Carbon Footprint, Saving Energy, Windows & Doors
With so much that’s written about replacement windows, along with the pros and cons associated with such products, we understand how confusing or daunting it can be when making your decision.
Replacement Window Energy Saving Installation
When it comes to home improvements it’s essential that you know
why you’re buying new windows as well
what you’re purchasing. Replacement windows come in a vast array of styles, fittings and colours, however, the key benefits stay exactly the same. We appreciate that aesthetics are sometimes as important as longevity, so before you buy replacement windows, we would like to remind you why they’re so advantageous to your property.
The green light
According to the Energy Saving Trust you can lose up to 50% of your heat through windows, and if the windows are old and ill-fitting, the prevalence of drafts will increase this figure considerably. “Energy Saving Recommended double glazing can cut heat lost through windows by half, as well as saving you around £135 a year on your heating bills. It can also save you around 720kg of carbon dioxide (CO2) a year.” (Energy Saving Trust website) New properly fitted windows with new materials, double glazing, and good window replacement installation will cut down heat loss, in turn reducing your heating bills.
Think about the design
Customers have far more variety of windows to choose from today, without having to change the size of the window openings. For example, replacement window’s gives you a balance between good ventilation and how well they suit the existing exterior of your home.
Add value
Window replacement means that you have invested in your house, and you can increase the value of your biggest single asset. You may find that your window replacement installation makes your house more attractive to new buyers, enhancing a quicker sale of your property.
Protect and serve
Both UPVC replacement windows and aluminium replacement windows benefit from the latest in multi point locking technology, which means they’re highly secure, making it increasingly difficult for anyone to break in to your home.
Why not see our bespoke Replacement Windows for inspirations, assurance and solace. We want you to realise the benefits before making a commitment.
CATAGORY|Saving Energy, Windows & Doors
Rose Watson & family outside her now much more energy efficient home
I recently read a helpful article by Alok Jha on the Guardian webite about how Rose Watson, a homeowner in Nottingham, had taken some drastic steps to reduce both her family’s carbon footprint and her energy bills. It was entitled “
One womans war on energy waste“, and rationally set out the moral and ethical delimma facing every property owner about the difficulty of genuinely wanting to reduce one’s carbon footprint and save energy, whilst trying at the same time to save money in these recessionary times.
The article explained that “When Rose Watson moved into her Nottingham home nine years ago, there was no central heating, the gas heater in the living room was leaking carbon monoxide, and any warmth in the building tended to leach out of the draughty single-glazed windows.” Consequently her family were pouring out energy and money through the single glazed windows.
However, Rose addressed these issues. “Over the next two years, following the tips from the Energy Saving Trust (EST) and others, Watson got hooked on simple ways to green her home. Her paper-thin loft insulation was topped up to the recommended 200mm, energy-saving lightbulbs went up in all the rooms, the single-glazed windows were replaced with double-glazing, and draught excluders were fixed under all the doors and around the front door.”
Caroline Rams of the Energy Saving Trust (of which Hazlemere Window Company Ltd are members) says that Rose Watson’s actions shows what an average British family can achieve with ease when trying to make their first cut in carbon emissions. “Rose has a busy life and a large family who certainly keep her on her toes. Yet she has always found time to prioritise her energy- saving behaviour; so much so that it has become second nature. She is the perfect example of how you don’t have to change too much of your lifestyle to become green.”
CATAGORY|Carbon Footprint, Saving Energy, Saving Money
According to a telepgraph.co.uk article entitled “Homeowners failing green targets to pay more council tax” by Personal Finance Correspondent, Myra Butterworth “Under the new proposals, the Government would increase Council Tax and Stamp Duty for millions of homes that are not energy efficient. It could also mean families are unable to sell their home unless they spend tens of thousands of pounds on getting their properties insulated and double-glazed.”
Of more concern to homeownersk, the article goes on to say that “It is understood that Government advisers The Energy Savings Trust, wants it to becomes illegal from 2015 to put a home up for sale, which has a rating lower than band E.” Window Energy Ratings (WER’s) vary from A-G, with band A being the most energy efficient and band G the least energy efficient.
Hazlemere Windows offer a range of energy efficient windows that will address this potential problem, in a wide range of finishes, including wood grain effect UPVC. However, due to the extra metal strengthening that has to be added to PVCu wood effect windows, the highest window energy rating that can be achieved for a wood grain effect UPVC window is “B”. If you can live with, or prefer a white finish, you can install A rated windows in your property, which achieve the highest WER energy efficient rating there is…..”A”
Hazlemere supply and fit both “A” rated UPVC and “A” rated aluminium windows that achieve the highest energy efficient rating possible. So if your property has out of date glazing that is poorly insulated and letting lots of heat escape, save money by finding out about Hazlemere’s energy rated windows that will not only keep heat in more efficiently, and offer better insulation, but also reflect heat back, thereby cutting down on the amount of energy you use heating your home, which will in turn reduce your energy bills.
CATAGORY|Carbon Footprint, Saving Energy, UK Politics
A lot of us agree going green and reducing one’s carbon footprint is the right thing for both the environment and our planet. However, when it comes to putting this into practice, it often involves a substantial initial investment to make the properties we live and work in more environmentally friendly and energy efficient, so with this in mind are you genuinely prepared to reduce your carbon footprint?
The first thing to do is to find out how much your carbon footprint is. One way to do this is to use online calculators to work out the size of your home’s carbon footprint. In an article on the Independent’s website entitled “Save the planet – and cash – with a green makeover” Alessia Horwich explains that “The amount of CO2 produced by your home depends on a huge range of factors, from the size of your property to how warm you like your living room in the winter. As a result, carbon shoe sizes for similar properties can vary wildly. There are several calculators online, including carbonfootprint.com and the Government run actonco2 which asks you to enter details about the size of your home, your heating system, the cost of your energy usage, how much insulation your house has and even how many light bulbs there are in your property.”
“These calculators can give you an idea of the kind of carbon footprint you are leaving,” says Hayley Jones, a spokeswoman for green information website UK-energy-saving.com. “It’s not an exact science, but at least it gives people an idea of where they sit, whether they need to make big changes or just tweaks here and there.”
Alessia Horwich advises that “Once you know where you stand on the carbon scale, you can start doing something about it. For those with older properties, the best area for big savings is your heating system. Out of all the energies used in homes, the most waste is from heating and hot water – so double-glazing and insulation are by far the best things you can do. If your boiler is an ancient model, replacing it can increase efficiency by as much as 20 per cent instantly, and your emission of greenhouse gasses can be cut even further by trading your gas, electric or oil boiler in for a wood-chip or wood-pellet boiler.”
There are so many other things that property owners can do to reduce their buildings carbon footprint, including installing cavity wall and loft insulation, switching to low-emissivity double glazed glass, fitting energy saving light bulbs, turning off electrical appliances that are on standby and not over heating rooms.
Going green and reducing your carbon footprint will reduce your energy bills going forward, it is just a case of whether you are prepared for the short term pain of investment to reduce your carbon footprint, for the long term gain of reduced running costs and the resultant benefits to you and the environment.
CATAGORY|Carbon Footprint, Saving Energy
All of our customers know how concerned we are about the environment. That’s why our range of Window Energy Rated (WER) systems offers all of our customers a greener option when buying replacement windows.
As most of you know, Hazlemere were extremely proud to be the first company in the UK to design, manufacture, supply and install a dualframe aluminum green window system that achieved an ‘A’ Window Energy Rating in 2007.
We continue to promote energy efficiency during 2009 and ensure that homeowners can have cost effective, environmentally friendly windows. All of our windows are rated by The British Fenestration Rating Council (BFRC), so we wanted to explain how the ratings work for your home or business.
The British Fenestration Rating Council (BFRC) Scheme is the UK’s national system for rating the energy efficiency of windows and is recognised within the Building Regulations as a method to show compliance for your replacement windows installation.
WER’s use a consumer-friendly traffic-light style A-E ratings guide similar to that used on ‘white’ goods, such as fridges, freezers and washing machines. These ratings labels will help you make more informed choices about the energy efficiency of the windows you are looking to install.
With carbon emissions high on the global agenda, we are constantly looking for effective ways to make our homes more energy efficient. Each window rated by the BFRC has a unique label, and this label will display the following information:
• The rating level – A, B, C, etc.
• The energy rating e.g. -3kWh/(m²-K) in this example the product will lose 3-kilowatt hours per square metre per year.
• The window U value e.g. 1.4W/(m²-K)
• The effective heat loss due to air penetration as L. e.g. 0.01 W/(m²-K)
• The solar heat gain e.g. g=0.43
To make this even simpler, this rating will determine how well our products will function. For example, helping you maintain heat during the colder months, and keep the cold out. Prevent condensation and improve overall sound insulation.
Energy Efficient Windows are easy to recognise, so always look for the BFRC Label. See our Energy Rated Windows for further information.
CATAGORY|Saving Energy, Windows & Doors
