The cost of living crisis is exacerbating a long-held worry in the minds of most people, namely lowering their energy bills. Energy has long been one of the largest domestic outgoings most people face. Can installing secondary glazing in your property help you to lower your energy costs and keep your home more thermally efficient?
What is secondary glazing?
Secondary glazing is, as the name implies, basically a second set of windows that is installed on the inside of your current windows. It’s different from double-glazing, as it is actually a second structure installed on the inside of your existing windows. This can have an obvious knock-on effect on the amount of drafts let through, that can cause considerable cold to entre the property. Learn more about secondary glazing to get a deeper understanding of its benefits.
Does secondary glazing work?
The simple answer is yes. Secondary glazing can help to reduce your energy bills by making your property more thermally efficient. That means releasing less warm air from your property to the outside world, and allowing less cold air from the outside world in. The less cold air that comes through your windows, the warmer your property will feel. This means that you won’t have to put the heating on so much, and when you do the effects will be more noticeable and last longer – both of these things can cause a considerable energy saving.
What are the other benefits?
You may wonder why you wouldn’t just go for double glazing. It’s true that double glazing by itself is more thermally efficient. The downside is that it necessitates the removal of the entire window and replacement with a new double glazed unit. That is a time consuming and costly process that can cause considerable disruption into your life. Secondary glazing is much cheaper and easier to install, as it only applies to the inside of your existing window units. This can be particularly useful if you live in an older/listed property where you want to maintain the aesthetic of your existing windows, but still improve the thermal efficiency of your property.
Combine a secondary glazing installation with thick winterised curtains and good quality blinds and you will considerably improve your home’s thermal efficiency. This can have a noticeably positive impact on your heating bills, and ensure the money you do spend goes that much further by allowing your home to retain as much warm air as possible. Secondary glazing is an excellent choice if, as mentioned, you want to embrace the benefits of a more thermally efficient home but you don’t want the cost and complexity of a full double glazing install. Many find the various options in style, colour, and design of secondary glazing options considerably broader than their double glazing counterparts.
Secondary glazing can be a valuable tool in your arsenal when it comes to lowering your energy bills. Use it in conjunction with some other key home efficiency tips and you should give yourself the best possible chance of minimising your energy outgoings.
