Some Government help would be good

The year 2010 is set to be a monumental one for the window industry with the final countdown to window energy ratings forming part of the Building Regulations. Fabricators will need to future-proof their businesses by ensuring all frames manufactured meet the required energy ratings, while installers must also make sure they are selling windows that achieve the required ratings. It’s been a long time coming, but now time is running out as we approach the final countdown to ‘C’ rating. The year has again started with a bit of a disappointment as the heating industry rubs its hands with delight at the introduction of the boiler scrappage scheme. What does the window industry have to do to get its own official scheme? The Chancellor has stated that old inefficient boilers waste around £200 on the average household bill, while Corgi estimated that replacing a boiler could deliver average savings on bills of £156 a year. The similarities to savings offered by double-glazing are of little comfort to the window industry, so where is our scheme Mr Darling?

Ian Parrett, of independent energy consultants Inenco made an interesting point highlighting the window industry’s plight. He claims the Government needs to offer stronger incentives for people to replace their boilers. He was quoted as saying: "People are much more prepared to make financial sacrifices to swap their old car for a shiny, new model, but nobody is going to try to 'keep up with the Joneses' with a new boiler.” When you look at the main drivers for people changing their windows, aesthetics and safety & security are the top two – surely these help homeowners ‘keep up with the Joneses' as well as making their homes a safer place in which to live. A scrappage scheme for windows would doubtless have a higher uptake rate than one for boilers. In this lies the answer. It’s down to potential cost. The cold start to the year could have a positive effect on our industry as it will highlight the deficiencies of old glazing, and make homeowners more likely to look to replacing it - a fact borne out by increased Google searches in January for double-glazing.

John Cowie
Editor
Email: john.cowie@windowsactive.co.uk