Boost for Energy Saving Products In The EU

It has strong implications for the specification of energy-saving products including energy efficient glazing, such as Pilkington K Glass™.



Energy Performance Certificates, which will rate the energy performance of each property on a scale of A to G, will also highlight to potential buyers how they can improve the home's energy efficiency and save on energy bills.



The glazing industry already uses a similar rating system for windows; Window Energy Ratings (WERs) give consumers the opportunity to make informed decisions about the type of windows installed in their home.



In many cases, replacing old inefficient glazing with energy efficient glazing will be high on the list of improvements. Their relative ease of installation, coupled with the potential energy savings to be made, means that the industry has a unique opportunity to capitalise on the legislation when it comes in to force later in the year. Around 20 per cent of the heat in a house can be lost though single glazed windows. By fitting new double glazing, such as insulating glass units containing Pilkington K Glass™, this loss could be cut by half, resulting in a saving of up to £100 a year on the energy bills of an average three-bedroom home.



Rick Wilberforce, Market Development Manager for Pilkington, said: “June is a crucial time for the industry and we must capitalise on this. By giving consumers more information on the average running costs for heating, hot water and lighting in the home and how to cut these costs with energy efficiency measures, we are hopeful that energy performance certificates will lead to a significant step up in the energy efficiency of homes in the UK.”