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Many people are looking to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. Heat tends to disappear out of walls and floors and of course windows and doors can be horrendously drafty if not fitted properly and if they are quite old too.
Citizens Advice calculated that energy price increases were a shocking eight times higher than rises in average earnings from October 2010 to November 2013 and with many experts predicting the costs of heating homes will continue to rise, spending money on windows and doors which can keep the heat in, can mean some of the cost could be recouped.
How do you know the windows and doors you are buying are truly energy efficient?
One of the main ways to make sure you are buying genuinely energy efficient windows and doors is to check they are “BFRC rated”. The best will have ratings which are A++' (the most efficient) and the minimum should be 'C' rating for windows to satisfy Building Regulations and 'E' for doors unless you have a historic home or are in an area classed as a ‘conservation’ area.
Read our - How to choose energy efficient windows checklist
Why trust the BFRC Label?
Just like you see on appliances, the BFRC label clearly indicates the energy rating of the window or door (‘A++’ to ‘E’). ‘A++’ is the most energy efficient, while ‘E’ the least efficient.
And the manufacturers cannot just award this rating themselves. The rating process the energy efficiency level is calculated and verified by BFRC and this organization is totally independent from any manufacturing or installing company.
Even once the rating has been awarded, the manufacturers and authorised Installers are audited on-going to make sure they continue to achieve the original rating awarded
The benefit of the label is that when you are given different costs/quotes for windows and doors, at least from an energy efficiency perspective you can contrast and compare based on the difference it can make to your running costs.
How can you find window and door companies which are BFRC Rated.
Well, there are no excuses for using cowboy fitters either as BFRC authorised Installers and manufacturers are periodically inspected by BFRC to ensure they are supplying the correctly rated product. You can easily find them by visiting www.bfrc.org.
Read our - How to choose energy efficient windows checklist
Make sure you file your BFRC Homeowner Energy Rating Certificate
A further benefit of buying energy efficient windows and doors from the ‘good guys’ is that you will be given a Homeowners Certificate that clearly states the product you have ordered, the energy efficiency rating of the window, the date installed and the company that did the installation.
This is the only independently verified Certificate for energy efficient windows available in England & Wales and it’s a great addition to reassure potential future buyers when/if you come to sell your home.
Even better news is that if you accidently lose your certificate, you can ask the BFRC to issue the certificate again (costs of around £12 may be incurred).
