Double Glazing On The Web

Are A-rated double glazed windows really the way to go, or are double glazing retailers simply taking advantage of our childhood conditioning? Surely A is always better than C because it comes earlier in the alphabet…?

Funny, but when you stop and think about it, choosing double glazing isn’t an exam. Mine is not necessary better than yours because it ‘scores’ higher. Well perhaps on paper it means something and if the letter A is very important to you, then A-rated windows are most certainly out there to buy.

Personally however, there is more to my purchasing decision than the boxes a product ticks on an industry checklist – I have to weigh that against the other crucial list in my life: my bank balance.

Browsing through statistics I came across an interesting set of figures. Money saved through installing new energy efficient, A-rated double glazed windows, on your average 3-bed semi, over 20years is roughly – wait for it… £8,300.00 Wow – impressive! BUT the savings on the same property, over the same 20 years, with C-rated double glazed windows is £7,700.00.

If I’ve got this right, and believe me I’m no mathematician, that’s a saving difference, over a 20 year period, of just £30 a year, approximately £600 in total. Given that I’m unlikely to be staying in my property for the full 20 years, probably more like five, if the cost to upgrade from A to C is more than £150 total, than I’m afraid my bank balance wins out and I’d go for C over A any day!

With the big freeze still bearing down upon us, for many without double glazed windows it can’t help to learn that up to 50% of the heat in our homes is lost through our windows and that’s while the windows are closed! This equates roughly to £135 per year for an average household, or for the environmentally conscious, that’s around 720kg of CO2.

It’s no wonder then that as the cold weather continues, across the country there has been a noticeable increase in double glazing enquiries for new double glazed windows. Similarly there’s been a dramatic rise in interest in new boilers…strange that. The trouble is that doubled glazed windows, just like boilers and water tanks, don’t rate highly on many of our ‘things we would like’ lists – it’s not until they shoot to the top of the ‘things I really must get’ list that we actually do something about it.

It’s a shame because although few people start to shop around for boilers or double glazing in August when the weather’s nice, that’s likely to be the time when the best bargains are to be found. Leave it till the heating’s broken or your energy bills are the equivalent to burning £5 notes for warmth and it’s guaranteed that every engineer and double glazing fitter in the country will be rushed off their feet!

Measuring up your own double glazed windows and doors couldn’t be simpler and by measuring yourself and ordering online, you could save time, money and inconvenience.

Cut out the middle man altogether - all you need is a regular tape measure.  Be sure to measure the window or door 3 times, and take the smallest of the 3 for quoting purposes.  Always measure in millimetres and be sure to take the width measurement from plaster to plaster and the height from plaster to cill.

Now you have your measurements, it’s time to find the best deals!  Make sure you compare your quotes before deciding on a supplier; testimonials can also be a very useful tool in the decision process. 

So you found a great deal online and your window or door has arrived safely.  The final, most crucial stage is to source a reputable and reasonably priced professional to carry out the installation. Many online double glazing suppliers can either recommend a fitter or will carry out the work themselves.   

All that is left now, is to decide how to spend the money that you saved by measuring up your double glazing yourself!

Are you familiar with this scenario, “he started off quoting X for our conservatory and, after four calls to his manager, came down on his offer by two thirds, but we had to decide immediately and give him a 20% deposit”?

Not surprisingly people are getting wise to this form of pressurized selling, the result is that rising stars in the internet based glazing industry don’t mess around with pricing, they offer one price and one price only - the very best they can offer, with no hidden discounts or schemes and the price is the same if you order one window or ten.

What’s more, you go to them if and when you need new or replacement windows or doors- there’s no knocking on doors or cold calling. Successful double glazing firms in these troubled times, have recognized that to be successful  in today’s very competitive market, the sales pitch and the entire sales process, needs to be as transparent as the windows themselves.

Handy Tip:
When receiving a quote for new or replacement glazing, the quotation should be equally transparent, broken down comprehensively to the nearest 1p. You should be able to see the net cost for a full technical survey, the cost of the frames, the glass in the frames, installation, fixing and even the sealants used.

Accidents happen and windows get broken for all sorts of reasons. The invention of double glazing and reinforced glass, has meant that our glazing is no longer as fragile as it once was, but it’s still far from infallible. Thankfully, replacing broken windows is no longer the chore it used to be either.
Whether you’ve suffered a break-in or a football though the patio door, you can now order replacement windows, glass, frames and even arrange fitting, online and all from the comfort of your own home.

The effect of the recession on householder’s confidence, coupled with the decline in new builds, is having a knock-on impact on the glazing industry. Fewer new builds means fewer new windows and doors. Fewer home improvements mean fewer replacement windows and doors…

There’s no denying that it’s tough and is going to get tougher, although industry will always find a way to adapt and some are better placed than others to weather the storm. South coast based Double Glazing On The Web for example, is an established glazing firm which recognizes the benefits of the internet in reducing costs and overheads, whilst maximizing their client base.

 Web-based sales provide considerable advantages to the sellers, but more importantly they are very customer driven, making the whole buying experience easier and less invasive to for the client. To find out more visit: www.doubleglazingontheweb.co.uk

If the thought of replacing your windows scares you half to death, don’t worry, you are not alone; it’s a fear that is perfectly understandable, after all, there’s a lot at stake if it all goes wrong!

The problem is, though, that putting off replacing your windows for too long simply leads to leaky, squeaky, sticky windows that look dreadful.  Eventually, your windows will look so unsightly that they give a negative impression of your house.  At this stage, the rot has literally set in and it’s time to take action.

So, what is the true cost of window replacement, and is it as difficult as it sounds?  Given that replacement windows, doors, and conservatories are our raison d’etre, we are obviously going to say, ‘no, it’s not difficult.’  But, having said that, we want you to know that we pride ourselves on our ethics - and, no, ethics and double glazing is not a contradiction of terms!  The advice we give is honest.  We do provide a fitting service for our products but, sadly, it is not available in all areas.  If you live in an area that we do not cover, we strongly advise you to take advice from a professional window fitter.

All of which means that, as far as the mechanics of window fitting are concerned, as long as you are happy to put the kettle on, you have all the skills you need!

Then we come to the thorny issue of cost; well, it’s thorny for the rest of the industry, anyway, which has not done awfully well in the PR stakes.  Part of our overall vision at DGOTW is to go some way to improving the image of our industry; to this end our pricing strategy is to be totally transparent.  We do not employ salesmen, so there are no extras added to the price of our windows to pay salaries, commissions, and bonuses.  Neither do we indulge in the practice of inflating prices and then slashing them, which gives the impression that you’re getting your double glazing at a knockdown price.

Did you know that the majority of companies give their salesmen an inflated price book.  This enables the salesman to give you a supposed discount which, in fact, only reduces the price to the normal selling price and gives the salesman room to manoeuvre and negotiate when trying to earn the maximum amount of commission from you.  Not nice eh?

All our quotations are broken down to the last penny. We will show you the nett cost for a full technical survey, the cost of the frames, the glass in the frames, installation and for the fixing and sealants we use.  Like we said, we aim to be totally transparent.

As for finance, we never advise that you take interest free credit - banks don’t run their businesses as a charity and their interest will be built into the payments.

At DGOW we can arrange finance.  We have tried to negotiate the very best rates for our customers.  We want to sell uPVC products not finance.  None of our staff receive commission from selling finance products; the document fee you pay is the one charged by the finance company.  We do not mark this up for profit.

Can we be any more transparent?  If there’s something we’ve missed, just contact us, either through our main site or by dialling 0800 783 9176, and ask - we’ll be happy to talk to you.

In the meantime, in answer to the question, “Is it time to Replace your Windows,” the answer has to be ‘probably.’

We look forward to helping you and adding your name to our happy customers’ file.