How Windows and Doors Can Help Save Money in the Home

When you are considering ways to save money in your home, you may want to start with replacing the windows and doors. Although they may be costly to replace, they will save you lots of money in the long run. Many homeowners are unaware that windows and doors that are not energy efficient will add to your monthly energy bills.

You can greatly reduce these costs by installing modern, energy efficient glazing. This is because many new windows have improved thermal efficiency which allows you to enjoy living in a warmer environment.

The benefits of upgrading windows and doors

Besides improving the thermal efficiency of your home, there are other benefits to upgrading your home’s windows and doors:

1. Self-cleaning glass – People spend lots of money keeping their windows looking great. This has encouraged many homeowners to upgrade their glass to self-cleaning glass which is low maintenance. This reduces the need to employ a cleaner to spend hours of time cleaning your windows and saves you money in the process. Self-cleaning glass uses natural sunlight and rain to decrease the build up of dirt and slime on your glass surface.
2. Window film and low e-glass – Window film acts as an insulator and it improves the thermal performance of your windows. It assists your windows in achieving energy efficiency and saves you on energy bills. In the same manner, energy efficient low-emissivity glass contains a layer which reduces the transfer of heat, this mean that less heat escapes and this keeps your home warm in winter.
3. Property Value – If you are considering selling your home or will be considering selling your home in the future, you will be pleased to know that homes with modern energy efficient windows sell at a higher price than homes without them. People looking to buy homes would rather spend extra on their home instead of taking on a home which needs additional renovations done after purchase. A recent survey showed that 75% of homeowners said that they consider energy efficient windows as an important prerequisite when they are looking at buying homes.
4. Safety is important – If you are undertaking a home renovation and you are worried that you might lose hard earned cash due to issues with your installer or contractor, you should look for glazing contractors that adhere to the codes of practice that protect the consumer and ensure that you read the conditions before signing them. Ensure that you ask about questions about the company’s insurance backed guarantees and warrantees for services and products that they are offering. Many of these companies do not offer a cancellation period for windows that are made to measurements.

Saving on energy bills

Homeowners suggested many ways that they try to save, their lists were endless. Some of these included: energy saving light bulbs, water saving shower heads, cavity wall insulation and solar panels. However, many of these items need to be replaced constantly or topped up frequently and they make minor differences to your home utility bills. You will instantly enjoy a more comfortable home when you make investments in your home windows and doors. Heating accounts for 70% of household energy consumption and reducing these bills will ultimately cut energy bills and also meet carbon reduction commitments.

Tips of saving money in the winter

The most obvious solution is to replace window and doors with energy efficient ones, but you can also make the following changes to save money:

1. Make use of your curtains
2. Utilise timers on your central heating
3. Move your sofa away from your radiator
4. Maximise your insulation by installing insulation throughput your walls and ceiling
5. Turn down your homes heating system to at least 21 degrees
6. Block out the draught using a sausage dog if needed
7. Install thermostatic radiator valves
8. Upgrade your boiler
9. Try to reflect the heat
10. Use your ceiling fan correctly. They should spin counter clockwise in summer and clockwise in winter to blow the hot air down.
11. Use appliances with the energy star label
12. Try to keep doors closed

There are so many ways that you can save money with your utility bills however the most efficient way is by making use of replacement windows and doors. Although they may seem expensive, they will be saving you lots on your bills in the future.