Last year, we wrote about how double glazing your home can help save money on heating bills, but now, with the introduction of energiKare from Pilkington - energy efficient glazing has arrived.

All double glazing of course offers a degree of energy efficiency, and it’s certainly more energy efficient than single glazing. However energiKare is twice (yes, twice!) as efficient as standard double glazing.

How does energiKare work?

Unlike the glass utilised in standard double glazing, energiKare works in two ways to save you money, and improve the energy efficency in your home:

1. It reduces the amount of heat lost through your windows
2. It allows more heat from the sun in through the window

The action of allowing more heat from the sun through the window is called ’solar gain’ - because it’s using free energy from the sun to help heat your home.

How does energiKare differ from standard double glazing?

Like standard double glazing, energiKare double glazing units are made up of two sheets of glass, with a spacer (or gap) in between. Where energiKare differs from standard double glazing is in the types of glass used.

The outer pane is Optiwhite™ - a special glass which allows more heat from the sun into the window than standard glass. The inner pane is K Glass™ - a glass specifically designed to stop valuable heat escaping from inside the house. You benefit, as your home will feel warmer without the need to turn up the heating.

Why are energy efficient windows important?

If you’re considering replacing your windows, energy efficiency should be a key consideration - firstly because you will save money on your heating bills; but also because you are reducing your impact on the environment if you use less energy to heat your home.

Plus, as and when you come to sell your home in the future, having energy efficient windows will contribute to the home’s overall environmental rating - which could be viewed positively by prospective buyers.

The Benefits of energiKare:

1. Improves the energy efficiency of your home
2. Reduces the amount of energy you use - saving you up to 20% your heating bills
3. Is more effective than single or standard double glazing
4. Reduces your carbon footprint
5. Contributes to your home’s overall environmental rating
6. Is endorsed by the Energy Saving Trust

 Depending on the size of your home, you could save enough energy to*:

1. Run 9 TVs for a whole year
2. Drive over 1000km in an average sized car
3. Make over 34,000 cups of tea

A typical semi-detached house upgrading from single glazing to energiKare could save over £10,000** in energy costs over the life of the windows!

If you’re considering replacing your windows, and would like to find out more about energiKare, why not speak to one of our members of staff, who will be happy to talk you through the options available, and provide you with a quote. Call 0800 666 444, or request a quote today.   

Images & all statistics sourced from the Pilkington website. *Calculatuions based on a new house with approximately 13m² of windows. **Based on the assumption of energy prices increasing by 10% per annum, window lifetime assumed to be 20 years.

With the cost of heating your home on the increase, and people’s concerns over the environmental impact of their carbon footprint; many are looking for ways to save energy.

The good news is, having double glazing fitted can help! According to the BBC:

• - Double glazing halves heat loss through windows
• - You can save around £90 a year on your heating bills

Plus, if everyone in the UK who needed double glazing had it fitted we’d save nearly 5,000,000 tonnes of C0₂ and around £600 million!

That said there is some debate on the environmental impact of the frames. However, there are many options available - for example if you are particularly concerned at the environmental impact of Aluminum and PVC, then sustainable timber frames are an ideal solution.

If you are looking for further ways to save money on your heating bills and help the environment you might also consider wall insulation & loft insulation. For even more ideas visit The Energy Saving Trust.