Energy efficiency in the home

What is energy efficiency?

Simply put energy efficiency involves using less energy to perform the same task, therefore minimising its energy waste and delivering less carbon to the environment.

House energy bills increase on a yearly basis, costing families more to heat their homes. Modern double glazing is built to retain heat that old windows may lose creating an energy-efficient house, BFRC A+ rated double glazed windows deliver an ideal solution to achieve a warm and welcoming energy efficient home.

What does A+ rated mean?

The British Fenestration Rating Council (BFRC) created an energy efficiency standards scheme, which uses a rainbow system of ratings that then equal a scale from A+ to G that are used to certify the glazings energy efficiency. A+ is the most efficient and G the least efficient, the most energy efficient windows are those with an energy rating of A to A+ which are energy positive.

What makes up the energy efficient rating?

The BFRC energy rating is based on the positive influences from solar gain, minus the negative factors of air leakage, thermal heat loss, also considering how good the product is at preventing heat from escaping from the window. The higher the grade, the less energy you will use, for example, your new double glazed windows keep more heat in, which means you need to use a smaller amount of central heating to keep your home warm resulting in lowering your energy bills.

How does it work?

The double glazing technology that creates a window has evolved over the years delivering improved energy efficiency. As technology is continuously being updated, if you wish to stay as energy efficient as possible, then we recommend you review your current windows every 12 – 15 years to ensure that your home benefits from maximum energy efficiency.

Modern double glazing consists of two pieces of glass separated by a spacer bar which denotes the thickness of the space between the inner pane of glass, it’s specifically designed to reduce the amount of heat that is lost through the window while the outer pane allows heat from the sun to enter through and into your home.

How much does having energy-efficient double glazing save you?

Monthly costs for running your home can add up and double glazing is one of a range of products that can help consumers be more energy efficient.

It is hard to say how much you can save from installing new windows with modern double glazing, the cost differs to the needs of each home and the energy rating of the window. The GGF’s website offers a free energy savings calculator, you can enter the unique details for your home, and it will estimate how much you can recover from your window investment, the extent will depend on your current energy usage and previous glazing.

What is triple glazing?

Triple glazing is the most recent development in glazing, however, will cost about 20 per cent more than the standard double glazing cost and reduce the overall heat loss by about 5 per cent. A+ Double glazing is the best cost-effective solution to energy efficiency in the home.