Double Glazing On The Web

On the 18th September, this blog told you about new rules designed to protect the consumer from unscrupulous doorstep sellers.

Following on from this new legislation, the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) have launched an ad campaign to make householders aware of their new rights when buying goods at home.

Last year, apparently, the OFT received more than 50,000 complaints from people who had bought goods at the door, with double-glazing products one of the main problems.

The ad campaign, which will appear in local newspapers throughout October, will remind householders of their right to a ‘cooling off’ period for any goods purchased at a cost of over £35.  It will also remind consumers that home salespeople must tell them of the right to cancel, in writing, at the time of purchase.

Homes in parts of the UK where there are greater levels of home sales will also be leafleted, these areas are:  the East of England, the Midlands, Scotland and Wales.

We do not use a sales force, which is one of the reasons for our low pricing.

For more information about the OFT campaign: Reuters

Just a heads up to readers in Crewe and Nantwich: I have just read that new planning regulations applying to new extensions (including conservatories) come into force in your area next Wednesday, 1st October, 2008.

These regulation changes seem pretty confusing to me because, whilst many extensions that have previously needed council permission can now be built without permission, some previously allowed developments now need planning permission.

Of relevance to this site: all conservatories or rear extensions over three metres in length will, from next Wednesday, require planning permission.

Read about these and other changes here

Apparently, rogue conservatory salesmen still exist, despite the industry’s attempts to clean up its act.

From next month (October 2008) as a consumer, if you sign up on your doorstep to purchase a conservatory (well, anything really, but this is a double glazing blog!) you will be allowed to cancel contracts, even if you requested a sales visit to your home or office.

Previously you only had the right to cancel door-to-door salesmen’s contracts in a seven day ‘cooling off’ period if the salesman visits were unsolicited.

The Cancellation of Contracts made in a Consumer’s Home or Place of Work etc Regs 2008 came about because a number of reports and consultations uncovered the need for more protection.  Apparently, protection is particularly needed in the case of the sale of services to construct patios, driveways and conservatories.

The Regulations apply to sales of goods or services to a value of £35 or more, not to sales below that threshold.

Another sad indictment on our industry.  Here at Double Glazing on the Web we pride ourselves on being honest and ethical - and our conservatories aren’t too bad either!

Building A Greener Britain – Transforming Britain’s Housing Stock  is the title of a paper prepared by the Federation of Master Builders.  It was published in July by Environmental Change Institute at Oxford University.

Perhaps it should come as no surprise that the report labels UK housing among the worst in Europe when it comes to energy efficiency.  Compared to other countries, we do seem to be a bit lacklustre when it comes to ‘green’ issues.  However, the report suggests a tactic which is sure to get us going pale green, if not emerald green.  It calls for a cut in VAT on housing refurbishment from 17.5 per cent to five per cent, council tax rebates to promote energy efficiency, and a review of energy performance certificates to improve accuracy and reliability.  Anything that saves money in this, frankly, dreadful financial climate has got to be good.

It is becoming more and more apparent that, in the not too distant future, the value of your property will become evermore dependent on how ‘green’ or energy saving it is.  In fact, as the much talked about Home Improvement Packs (HIPs) already contain Energy Performance Certificates, the energy performance of your home already contributes to its marketability.

On one carbon calculator site on the web, installing effective double glazing comes very high in the steps you can take to improve the energy efficiency of your home (and, therefore, its marketability).  The only actions that come higher than double glazing involve turning down your central heating thermostat.

So, whether or not you are a committed green campaigner just by ensuring that your doors and windows keep in the warm and keep out the cold, you will be contributing to the green agenda.

Did you know that the Kitemark® is not just a mark of trust here in the UK? It is, in fact, ‘the world’s premier symbol of trust, integrity and quality,’ and it is proudly displayed at the foot of our home page! Because the double glazing market is so highly competitive, we like to think (in fact, we know) that the fact we have the authority to use this symbol differentiates us from many other double glazing firms.

We hold two Kitemarks, the first of which is BSI 5713. Originally, this standard related to the performance of double glazing units, together with the use of the correct equipment to test this performance. The equipment part of the standard is no longer in use - simply because there is no such equipment! However, at Double Glazing on the Web, we abide by the required performance requirements of BSI 5713.

The second Kitemark is BSI 6206, which specifies how glass used in buildings should perform under impact; that is, it is about the glass safety. These requirements are intended to reduce the risk of injuries caused by cutting and piercing in accidents where glass is involved.

Basically, the fact that we hold a license to display these two Kitemarks, tells you that we are committed to quality and safety.

If you’ve visited our site, you will already know that we are also committed to honesty. We give you real prices for double glazing. We do not use salesmen, so we don’t have to pay commission, and we do not set up fake money off offers. When we give you a price, it is the true price.

Have you ever researched all those logos that appear at the foot of many websites?  You know the ones - member of this, affiliate to that, honorary member of the other.

At the foot of our own home page, you will see five logos, three of which are British Standard Kitemarks - something we’ll discuss in a future blog entry.  The other two logos refer to FENSA, which is an acronym for the Fenestration Self-Assessment Scheme.

FENSA, together with the Local Authority Building Control, are responsible for ensuring that any new installations comply with current thermal peformance standards and, once a job has been completed, a certificate of compliance needs to be sought from FENSA or from Local Authority Building Control.  Membership of FENSA enables companies that install replacement windows and doors to self certify compliance under these Building Regulations.

To ensure compliance with standards, A FENSA appointed inspector will inspect a percentage of the work carried out by each FENSA registered business every year.  All new installations need to gain FENSA approval, which means that either you or the installer will need to make an application to Local Authority Building Control; it is likely that there will be associated charges with this.   Doesn’t it make good sense to use a FENSA registered company to eliminate the extra work, worry, and costs?

Next time, we’ll take a look at exactly what these ’standards’ are.