According to an article in the Daily Mail last week, Buckingham Palace is the least energy efficient building in London. It was awarded the worst possible score 0 out of 10 (!)  in terms of energy efficiency, and branded London’s most environmentally damaging building. You can read the full article here.

So what was all the fuss about?

Well, Buckingham Palace is without a doubt a beautiful building, and it is only appropriate that it’s looks and heritage should be preserved.

However it is unfortunate that buildings of this type are typically not very energy efficient. You can see that there are lots of windows - and as they are only single glazed; and indeed perhaps because the frames have warped over time, they let in draughts.

A member of the team responsible for measuring the energy efficiency of the buildings surveyed said:

“So much energy is being lost through the windows… It appears the building is better at heating the air outside, than inside”

In terms of environmental impact, the message is clear - if you’re home is not energy efficient you are wasting energy, and harming the environment.

Of course, in addition to this, you are also wasting money. In 2008 the Buckingham Palace spent £2.2million on utility bills - so the benefits of making this building more energy efficient are clear.

The top twelve worst offenders (in terms of energy efficiency) of the buildings surveyed were as follows:

1. Buckingham Palace
2. DECC (Defra)
3. Ministry of Defence
4. Horse Guards Barracks
5. Shell Building
6. Home Office
7. Houses of Parliament
8. Treasury
9. Portcullis House
10. MI6 HQ
11. Albert Hall
12. St James’ Palace

The Mail call them the dirty dozen, and we’d have to agree!

If you’re interested in making your home more energy efficient, there are some fantastic resources out there for you to learn more.

We’d recommend the following sites:

The Energy Saving Trust - a non-profit organisation that provides free impartial advice on how to save money and fight climate change by reducing carbon dioxide emissions from your home.

Directgov - information about energy efficiency grants and offers to help you make energy saving improvements to your home. These grants and offers come from government, your local council or your energy supplier.

Here at SEHBAC we too believe in the importance of making homes as energy efficient as possible. As such we’ve written a few articles which may be of interest:

Can Fitting Double Glazing Save Money on Heating Bills?

Pilkington energiKare - Energy Efficient Glazing

If you’d like to talk to someone about double glazing, with specific regard to making your home more energy efficient, please give us a call on 0800 666 444.

Image credit dbaron

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.

Why choose Double Glazing ?

It’s becoming increasingly popular to install double glazed windows in your home for several reasons:

To save money on heating bills…

Double glazed windows and doors are generally considered much more efficient at insulating your home than standard single-pane windows.

To save money on home insurance…
Modern double-glazed windows are considered far more secure than many older styles of windows

To reduce noise…
Double glazing is very good at reducing the amount of noise that enters through windows and doors

Double Glazing to suit your Home

Originally double glazed windows came in a limited range of styles and it was often difficult to find a design that matched the style of your property. Double glazing has moved on since then and nowadays it is easier to customise your windows and find a look that suits your home.

You can see our range by browsing our website, ordering a brochure or simply by popping in to visit us at one of our show centres.

How to choose a Double Glazing Company

All double glazing companies are not created equal, this is why we have put together a simple checklist of what to look out for, when selecting a double glazing company:

1. Do they offer a range of styles?
2. Can they provide testimonials from satisfied customers?
3. Does the company use the relevant professionals to make sure the double glazing installation is safe before carrying out the work?
4. Are the installers covered by a code of practice?
5. Is the double glazing guaranteed? and if so, for how long?

You can be sure that SEHBAC tick all the boxes. We pride ourselves in utilising quality products and delivering a professional service.

Double Glazing Contracts - Checklist

Once you have selected the company you want to install your new windows, there are a few more things to establish. The company should draw up a contract of work that clearly sets out exactly which products you have selected, and the costs involved for the purchase and fitting of them. This is by no means as exhaustive list, but your contract should include the following:

1. The price of the windows
2. Any additional costs
3. The date the work will commence
4. An estimate of how long the work will take
5. Details of your particular method of payment i.e. the deposit you have agreed to pay, monthly installments and interest rate you will pay. 

Typically a double glazing company will require a deposit of somewhere between 20%-30% before carrying out the work. This figure isn’t necessarily set in stone, so you may be able to negotiate.

If you are thinking about replacing your windows there’s many things to consider; material/style, noise reduction, energy saving; the list goes on and on.

However, some people overlook what should perhaps be one of the most important considerations - making sure they use a FENSA approved installer.

So, why is it so important to choose a FENSA approved installer?

To Make Sure You Comply with Building Regulations

Well, you may not be aware, but all replacement residential glazing comes within the scope of building regulations.

Back in October 2001, the government issued a document designed to complement the energy efficiency regulations. This covers the replacement of windows and doors from April 2002 onwards. Effectively, all installers and indeed purchasers of replacement windows and doors will be expected to comply with the new energy efficiency requirements.

These new energy efficiency requirements will assist us in reducing energy loss in line with government policy, which ultimately aims to assist in the meeting of global energy saving targets.

You Will Need to Prove this When You Sell Your Property

If you decide to sell your property in the future, your buyers solicitors will ask you to prove that any replacement glazing installed since April 2002 complies with building regulations.

It stands for the Fenestration Self-Assessment scheme.

What is FENSA?

FENSA was set up by the Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF) at the request of Communities & Local Government (CLG) who set policy on building regulations (amongst many other things) to allow registered companies to self-certify that their installations comply with current regulations.

- If you use a FENSA approved installer for your replacement windows, you will not need to seek building regulations approval - as your installer can self-certify. This will save you time and money.

- Using a FENSA approved installer will give you peace of mind that your new windows and doors are compliant.

- All work will be guaranteed as per FENSA’s guidelines, and you will be covered for any rectification work in respect of defects.

- If for any reason, your installer ceases to trade, your guarantee will still be covered via an independent insurance policy.

- If your installer requires a deposit, this too will be protected and guaranteed.

- Should you misplace your homeowner certification, replacements can easily be ordered online.

Unhappily there are still some unscrupulous characters working within the Double Glazing industry. This is bad for everyone - both for consumers and the industry as a whole.

End game is, if you’re thinking about replacing your existing windows, make sure you use a FENSA registered installer. To find a FENSA installer in your local area, or to check whether or not the company you plan to use is registered click here.

Obviously SEHBAC is FENSA approved, so you can rest assured that our work will conform to regulations, and is of course guaranteed. We’ve also got a fantastic ‘At Cost’ offer running now - it can’t last forever though, so act now to make sure you don’t miss out!

Reducing noise is one of the many reasons that people opt to double glaze their homes. But if you’re looking to replace your windows, and noise reduction is a particular consideration, what should you be looking for?

Within this post we’ll attempt to wade through the science behind noise reduction, and explain the various options to you.

First things first - how do you reduce noise?

Well, fortunately windows are rated based on their ability to attenuate (or reduce) noise. This rating is based on the ‘Sound Transmission Class’ (or STC). A given window’s STC is based on average noise reduction performance across the range of frequencies.

Confused? So were we!

Think about it this way - sound can be measured in a number of ways - for example if you are measuing sound in decibels you are measuring the volume. But, volume does not take into account the frequency (or pitch) of the noise. Interestingly when it comes to double glazing and noise reduction, it’s the frequency which you really need to pay attention to.

High frequency noise is much easier to attenuate (or insulate against). Essentially this means that if the main source of the noise which you wish to reduce is high pitched - e.g. the sound of children playing in a school or playground nearby, then it’s an easier job than if you are looking to reduce low frequency noise e.g. the sound of traffic.

The following factors are key when looking to achieve noise reduction:

1. For each pane of glass you will see a reduction in noise - therefore double glazing will see improved noise reduction versus single glazing, in very noisy areas triple glazing is sometimes utilised.
2. The use of lamintated glass is helpful in the reduction of noise - this is often used in buildings in very noisy areas such as airports.
3. More effective noise reduction may be achieved if the glass panes used are of different thicknesses. If you imagine that the each pane of glass acts as a barrier, the first pain will reduce noise from certain frequencies, but allow some frequencies to pass through. However as the second pane is a different thickness it will reduce noise from the frequencies which the previous pane allowed to pass through.
4. Increasing the airspace between the panes of glass within the double glazed unit can also help with noise reduction.

Perhaps most importantly, if your primary consideration when replacing your windows is noise reduction, make sure that you explain that to the Double Glazing companies which you are getting quotes from. Also, be sure to explain which particular noise it is which is bothering you - e.g. traffic noise, or children playing, as depending on the frequency of the sound which you are looking to reduce, different techniques might be used.

At SEHBAC we’ve over 38 years experience in providing replacement windows and we pride ourselves on listening to our customers and providing them with the ideal solution for them. We’d be happy to talk to you, and explain the options further - why not give us a call on 0800 666 444, or request a brochure, home visit or quote today.