The Gl@zine Blogsite

Energy Saving Trust

Energy Saving Trust Lacklustre?

I had wondered why the Energy Saving Trust, the organisation charged with delivering and promoting energy efficiency, appeared so lacklustre in its support of energy rated windows. At a recent meeting with EST, charged with compliance of the proper use of the energy saving recommended (ESR) logo - the blue swing tag – they confirmed to me that it's only the products that are important to EST not their installation.

Indeed there is a fundamental obstacle for installers selling energy rated windows to the consumer: they are prohibited from using the swing tag logo in conjunction with their name. Installers cannot be licensed to use the logo, because ‘installations’ aren’t covered in the wording of the ESR document. The license only covers manufacturers, retailers, and suppliers. The explanation is that installation is not part of the EST brief from DEFRA, its principal funding authority.

Approved manufacturers can produce brochures with the swing tag logo for customers’ use, just as Masterframe provides a Bygone Collection brochure for its approved retailers; it’s an immensely valuable marketing tool.

EST considers an installer’s use of a manufacturer’s brochure, far more preferable to brochures produced by installers themselves, let alone the industry tradition of allowing product brochures to be over-stamped by the installers, which is illegal under the terms of the EST scheme rules.

It gets even more complicated, as some manufacturers (who also install) can use the logo, but not in connection with installed products (even those with EST certification). Again it’s against the terms of the trade mark. This may seem petty but the EST is required to prosecute offenders who use the trade mark (the EST swing tag logo) without permission.

Until the EST has an installer approved endorsement scheme, manufacturers must lead the way, publicising their products and promoting energy saving recommended windows to homeowners. This raises the importance of approved networks like Bygone and Network Veka etc for controlled distribution of certified products, whilst the public remains largely uneducated and confused about the benefits of certified energy efficient products and the impact on climate change that windows such as ours will make.

I do have some sympathy with EST. However, as their life is dictated by the scheme rules, and DEFRA seems unwilling to promote (or fund) an installers registration scheme, surely the public should be told just how beneficial energy efficient product are (especially when they can save all the heat lost through windows), irrespective of whether they’ve made them or not?

Alan Burgess
Masterframe Windows Ltd
GO5 & GO7 Energy Efficiency Award Winner

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Energy Savings Trust Report

'Window Market Shows Encouraging Signs of Refocusing'

Out of over nine million windows replaced annually, two million are now second time replacements according to the UK Glazing Sector report commissioned by the Energy Saving Trust and the Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes.

Despite first time replacement saturation, the window market shows encouraging signs of refocusing, with demand for higher performing energy efficient windows a key driver. The total UK residential energy efficiency market including windows, central heating and building thermal insulation is forecast to increase by 10% by 2009. This increase is driven by construction sector growth, the Energy White Paper, and future changes in building regulations.

The report Trade Sector Profiles, Domestic Glazing Sector, was commissioned by the Energy Saving Trust (EST) and the Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes (EEPH), and carried out by Purple Market Research in June.

Available for download at www.eeph.org.uk/reports/sectorprofiles, it covers market size and segmentation; distribution channels; economic and demographic trends; window energy loss and associated emissions; key drivers and developments. Significant facts included within the report about homeowner buying behaviour include:

Nearly 70% of British people believe that energy efficiency is important when buying a home. Almost half (45%) are willing to pay up to £10,000 more for a more environmentally friendly home.

While only 21% consider improving the energy efficiency of their home before putting it on the market, 64% of buyers would rule out potential purchases that contained clapped out boilers, single glazed windows or insufficient insulation.

In 1976 fewer than 10% of existing homes had double glazing in one or more rooms. In 2004 market penetration reached almost 83% with 43% of all homes having double glazing in 80% or more rooms. However, legislation, WERs, ESR windows, Decent Homes, Energy Performance Certificates, the Code for Sustainable Homes, and the Market Transformation Programme are forecast to influence the take up of energy efficient windows and grow a sustainable, second time replacement market.

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