Energy Saving Week -

Energy Savings Week - Who knows?

I read with interest the piece submitted last week by Mike Derham referring to the Energy Savings Week and how important the WERs (windows energy ratings) are to the windows industry.

Being mainly in the domestic area of the industry and having achieved a BFRC rating and endorsement to use the Energy Savings Trust certification I am amazed, or should I say shocked, at how little the general public know about these standards.

Given the criteria associated with white goods and the way both the BFRC rainbow logo and the Energy Savings Trust tag are used to promote the quality of white goods relative to energy efficiency you would have expected more.

O.K. there has been a lobby to Government to reduce VAT on energy efficient windows, but maybe there should also be a lobby from our industry to make the general public more aware of the standards of manufacture and insulation of windows and doors and what they should be looking for to ensure that they get the most efficient installation possible.

At the same time Secure by Design is another standard which is poorly promoted; again the general public are almost totally oblivious to this standard.

Giving more general exposure of both of these standards would indeed be very important to the future of our industry.

How important is the environmental issue, how important crime reduction?

David M Bown
Sales & Marketing Director
Finesse Windows Ltd

Energy Saving Week

It's Energy Saving Week from 22nd-28th October 2007. We can take advantage of media coverage on eco-issues by promoting Window Energy Ratings (WERs). With windows accounting for up to 20% of heat loss in the average house, homeowners can change their windows to get better insulation, a lower carbon footprint and lower energy bills. Energy efficient windows are a great opportunity for our industry.
It's also likely that WERs are going to become standard requirements due to the introduction of Home Improvement Packs and Energy Performance Certificates.

PVC-U companies have embraced the BFRC energy rating initiative but the timber industry - save for a few - seems to be dragging its feet. Mighton's Ecotilt Window System' has been the first timber sash window to achieve B and C ratings. And with Ecotilt having achieved an A rating in-house that's shortly to be confirmed by the BFRC, these achievements show timber can be a top energy saving material. Homeowners love the look of timber but why should they compromise on energy saving?
It's time to wake up to the value of WERs both for the environment and as sales tools.

Yours sincerely
Mike Derham
Managing Director of Mighton Products

Comments

[Andy Jones]

EEPH Report Provides Boost for ERWs

I'm sure many of your readers shared my surprise last week at the news published from a study commissioned by the Energy Saving Trust and Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes. The UK Glazing Sector report highlighted that out of the 9 million windows replaced annually, 2 million are now second time replacements.

That's over 20% of the market looking for a convincing reason to change their old double glazed windows. Edgetech has been highlighting the benefits of Window Energy Ratings (WERs) as a powerful sales tool for the industry. It's interesting to see third party research demonstrating why we are seeing our customers benefit from this growing market sector.

The report shows that people will pay more for an energy efficient home and an increasing number of households are looking for information on how to improve the environmental performance of their property. What a powerful pitch for installers selling Energy Saving Recommended windows into the home! And this isn't the only report with such findings.

The 'Survey of Public Attitudes and Behaviours toward the Environment' by BMRB Social Research1 found that 44% of us would pay more for environmentally friendly products across the board. This survey also revealed that at least six in ten people claimed to know a lot or a fair amount about 'global warming' and 'climate change' and over half said they knew a lot or a fair amount about 'CO2 or Carbon Dioxide emissions'.

Our industry has seen a lot of discussion on energy efficiency and WERs, and the rapidly growing number of company names on the BFRC website demonstrates that many are now deciding to act sooner rather than waiting to see what the rest of the market does.

Both of these reports show the demand for energy efficient products is there, waiting to be met by the proactive companies who educate consumers that energy ratings exist for windows, and although double glazing is better than single glazing, a C, B or A rated Energy Saving Recommended window is the best investment.

Yours sincerely
Andy Jones
Managing Director, Edgetech UK