As a great man once said, “Winter is coming,” and all the wonderful things we associate with will soon be upon us. Hitting the slopes or going on big winter hikes are wonderful activities that we all enjoy during this period, especially once the June rains have passed over. Unfortunately, our energy bills are not so happy when it comes to winter. We tend to spend a lot more money on our heating costs than our AC, almost double! This unfortunate aspect of our winters will only get worse as energy costs continue to rise over the next few months and years due to the growing global climate crisis.
Luckily, a countermeasure has already been developed in the USA and been put to use in the UK and Europe and has been continuously successful since the 1970s. In the United Kingdom, for instance, their property market used to be notorious for leaking heat from their homes, causing excessively high energy usage throughout the winter. Their winters are colder than ours, so the issue was more noticeable and needed to be addressed much earlier. Here in Australia, our energy bills have always been relatively low compared to the rest of the world. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case as we are seeing rises that are comparable with the rest of the world. So that same countermeasure is needed right here, right now.
That countermeasure is double glazing, and its proven track record across the globe has shown that it is time to take up the trend here at home.
How much does Double Glazing save?
Double glazing really shines in the winter. Depending on your home, you’re looking to save an average of approximately $200-$300 a year on your heating and cooling costs, with the vast majority of that saving happening during the winter. Double glazing doesn’t stop you from needing to heat your home, but it does keep that heat in your home for much longer.
How does Double Glazing save me money?
Single glazed windows are in contact with the interior and exterior of your home, resulting in a large temperature difference on either side of the window. Since heat energy will always attempt to go wherever it is coldest, the heat from your home will transfer through the glass window constantly, meaning that any heat that you’re pumping into your home through your energy usage is escaping through a single glazed window almost as quickly as you can put it in. The issue is exasperated by old timber frames that will likely have lost their insulation properties a long time ago due to weather degradation.
On the other hand, double-glazed windows provide three-layered protection against heat loss in two panes of glass separated by a layer of insulating argon gas. The two panes of glass are each in contact with one side of the window, isolating the interior and exterior temperatures from each other. The insulating gas sat between the panes keeps the heat from transferring between the two. The gas essentially acts as a blanket that rests between the two panes of glass, keeping the warm air in and the cool air out.
What about uPVC frames?
Here at Ecovue, we provide our double glazing with modern uPVC frames. uPVC doesn’t have the same degradation issues as traditional timber because of its natural weather resistance. Whilst timber soaks up moisture, uPVC completely repels it. As a result, all it takes to keep uPVC frames in working order is a wipe with a wet cloth every so often to get rid of excessive deposits of dirt or grime that could lead to a build-up of mould.
Whilst the initial cost of double glazing may be higher than that of single glazing, the long-term benefits will vastly outweigh the initial investment. Furthermore, the savings that your home will make over the winter months over the years will more than cover the upgrade cost. You can also rest easy in the knowledge that your home is running on a dramatically reduced carbon footprint, helping to circumvent the problems we are seeing with climate change.
If you’re interested in our uPVC double glazing for your home this winter, then feel free to use our online pricing tool to get a quick quote for your project right from the comfort of your home. In addition, if you have any specific questions about how double glazing works and how it can improve your home, please use our online contact form or call us on 1 300 326 883. We’d love to hear from you.
