One of the UK’s leading home improvements companies Anglian Home Improvements, has launched a ground-breaking way to help consumers understand and choose the best energy efficient windows for their home.
Anglian’s ‘EcoGain’ windows are designed principally to decrease energy usage, while their ‘EcoRetain’ windows keep heat loss to a minimum.
The difference between the two is how ‘EcoGain’ lets in more sunlight, which importantly acts as free heat.
Both of these products have been planned to throw light on the complex conventional windows energy rating system that baffles consumers.
Traditionally window energy ratings have been calculated based on the BFRC rating equation, concentrating on thermal transmittance, solar factor and air leakage, to calculate the energy efficiency of a window on a scale of A to G.
Anglian Home Improvements and YouGov research reveals that half of those surveyed (47%) did not fully understand the A-G rating scale on the windows energy rating label, and only 19% of people (one in every five) were able to correctly state that an A-Rated window gains energy and also keeps in heat making it the most efficient.
As a result of this research, Anglian Home Improvements have launched ‘EcoGain’ windows (A-Rated on the traditional scale) to demonstrate clearly to consumers that this type of window ‘gains’ energy making it the highest performing window due to its extremely efficient solar factor.
EcoRetain’, (Anglian’s best-selling B-rated windows on the traditional scale) provide zero effective air leakage, meaning they are completely draught-free when closed and ensure minimum heat loss through the window.
Martin Troughton, Marketing Director at Anglian Home Improvements explains:
“There are three key performance factors that affect a window’s energy efficiency: Thermal Transmittance, which measures how good a window is at preventing heat escaping from inside the building; Solar Factor, which measures the amount of heat gained from sunlight passing through the glass; and Air Leakage, which measures how air-tight the window is.
“Our research shows that consumers find these energy rating factors confusing.
“By taking away the complexities of the A-G BFRC rating equation, Anglian Home Improvements hope homeowners will be able to identify the most energy efficient products for their home and quickly and simply understand that EcoGain gains energy and keeps heat, which should mean more to a UK consumer than simply labelling a window A-Rated.â€
For more detailed information about Anglian Home Improvements’ EcoGain and EcoRetain windows, please visit the website.
Tel: 0800 500600