In the wake of the COP26 summit and amid the recent surge in energy prices, the value of energy-saving home measures has become more apparent.
To those without double glazing, the obvious solution is to get it fitted. For example, the Birmingham Mail has reported this week on campaigners in the city working to help those from lower incomes and in social housing get access to measures like insulation and double glazing.
Of course, getting double glazing will certainly help those who don’t have it already. But there are also people all over the country who had it fitted years ago who have turned a blind eye to shortcomings that have developed over time.
Now may be a particularly good time to do something about it and get those energy bills under control. After all, window glass replacement can be as invaluable to those with defective double glazing as it is for those without double glazing to begin with.
Last October, consumer group Which? listed the most common problems with double glazing. It found 18 per cent of householders with double glazing had problems with it during the first decade after installation.
When it came to the windows themselves, cracking or shattering was a rare problem at just four per cent, but 14 per cent had issues with window glass steaming up or condensation.
More common issues were connected with the frames and futures around the glass, with the most frequent issue at 30 per cent being windows or doors becoming difficult to close. Windows or doors dropping gradually so they fitted less well applied in 20 per cent of cases, while failing locks and seals were also frequent faults.
With the energy price cap now set at an average of £1,971 a year for dual fuel users according to USwitch – and likely to rise again in October – now is the best time to check your double glazing, to make sure if it has shortcomings they are fixed before the cold weather returns in autumn.