Open Letter to FENSA

Dear FENSA

As you are probably aware, the discussion on Twitter and my blog today has been about the illegality of windows with uni-blinds/integral blinds as according to a FENSA inspector yesterday, they don't meet the correct energy requirements.

The subject came up yesterday as the company I work for had one of our scheduled visits from one of your inspectors. He mentioned to one of our installers that windows with blinds within the unit, even if it has argon gas, warm edge spacers, low 'e' glass and low iron glass, don't class as energy efficient due to the small aluminium strip at the top which houses the mechanism. The problem with this, and something which has been brought up on Twitter, is that units with integral blinds come under the same EN1279 tests, just as units with Georgian bar and lead do - are classed as energy efficient. So why not Uni-Blinds?

As you can appreciate, there are many companies, including the one I work for, that will be concerned about this. If I take what your inspector told us seriously, that would mean we would be unable to sell integral blinds in our windows - something which we do sell a lot of, as I'm sure many other companies do. I understand that this issue doesn't apply to doors and conservatories with integral blinds. But because many sell their windows with the option of integral blinds, this is a problem which requires immediate clarification and clear guidance for installers.

A reply to this question will not only be appreciated by myself, but also by the many other window companies which are just learning of this problem.

Yours Sincerely

DGB

Uni-Blinds And Energy Efficiency

Well, today the uncertainty of what was classed as energy efficient and what wasn't reared it's head again today, thanks to the chance visit of a FENSA inspector on one of our installations.

The topic of Uni-Blinds, the Pellini Italian blinds within double glazed units, came up between one of our installers and a FENSA inspector. According to the inspector, to which I don't have his name yet, said that windows with Uni-Blinds in them aren't classed as energy efficient and would condemn the whole installation.

When questioned if when the unit had low 'e' glass, low iron, argon gas and super spacers, the window would still be condemned.

The reason? The aluminium strip which houses the mechanism causes a cold current which acts against the heat insulating properties of the unit - making it inefficient. This, even though Uni-Blinds are classified under the same ruling as Georgian bar in the EN 1279 tests. Leaded units are also classed as efficient - despite lead on the units.

Up to press, I am lead to believe that FENSA are unable to prove how units with Uni-Blinds are inefficient, yet units with lead and Georgian bar, classed under the same testing, are efficient. 

Doors or conservatories with integral blinds are exempt from this ruling.

My main gripe with all this is the damage it could do to the product. We, like many others, have used the product for years and personally I think it's fantastic. So many selling points, it looks great, it's modern but fits in totally with the look of any window or door. Window and door companies need every excuse to be able to sell their products, and I can say from experience that by having these Uni-Blinds at our disposal, we've managed to secure sales because of this great and unique product.

I invite all to input their thoughts on this, and any ideas on how installers can get round this issue in a way that will satisfy FENSA and allow units with blinds in them to be sold legally abiding by the energy efficiency guide lines. I also invite FENSA to officially confirm what their position on this is.

My personal opinion is that this is all a complete load of BS, and has no solid ground until some concrete proof can be given to prove that this is truly inefficient. But until then, we should all carry on selling them!

Green Deal Doomed To Fail

The Green Deal has been on shaky ground ever since the details of the deal have been researched and found to be inconsistent at best. However, the Government's latest set of figures could spell the end for a deal which has had so much lobbying, hours of debate in Parliament, and I'm sure many millions of pounds of invested research.

The Government's own figures released today show that if the Green Deal was to go ahead, the number of lofts being insulated will drop a staggering 93%! The number of lofts insulated would reach a lowly 70,000! The Green Deal initially predicted 2.1 million lofts to be done! The number of cavity walls being insulated would be a piddly 170,000 when it should have been 1.4 million!

The Green Deal was supposed to create 65,000. This looks seriously doubtful now. 


The Green Deal was originally to be funded by the banks and the biggest energy companies. They were the businesses that were supposed to stump up the cash. But what chance was there of that ever happening?! Banks are hardly lending to businesses in the first place, and energy companies are way too protective of their cash to start giving it away in loans.


Whilst the Green Deal was a good idea, the initial research and figures laid out by the Government were fundamentally flawed. The Green Deal removes obligations from energy companies to improve the energy efficiency of people's homes and leaves it to the market. The problem with that is when you remove and obligation, the lack of motivation with most people, for whatever reason, means that take-up of the deal will be very low. Hence these appalling figures by the Government's own research facilities.


So, what now? Assuming the Green Deal collapses, the Government should look to focus on other energy efficiency measures set by the last Government that have been proven to work and continue to do so.


With the GGF lobbying hard to make sure energy efficient windows were included in the deal, it would be interesting to get their perspective on this latest batch of disappointing figures.


The Guardian has an article with more in-depth analysis and reaction. Click Here.

Are We Building Houses All Wrong?

I never really took much interest in the Passivhaus energy standard. I saw it being talked about on Twitter a little bit, but took no notice of it. But I decided to take a look at it today and see what all the fuss was about.

It was quite enlightening. The Passivhaus energy standard is the focus to: "dramatically reduce the requirement for space heating and cooling, whilst also creating excellent indoor comfort levels. This is primarily achieved by adopting a fabric first approach to the design, specifying high levels of insulation to the thermal envelope with exceptional levels of air-tightness and the use of whole house mechanical ventilation."


Some of the basic principles:

• good levels of insulation with minimal thermal bridges
• passive solar gains and internal heat sources
• excellent levels of air-tightness
• good indoor air quality, provided by a whole house mechanical ventilation system with highly efficient heat recovery

The process of heating and cooling centres around the Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery unit (MVHR). Heating and cooling also relies on the ventilation within the house. Heating and cooling occurs naturally (I think) due to the design of the building, the materials used and the MVHR. Passivhaus aims to rid the need of a conventional heating system in the building.

Here comes the good bit. A Passivhaus can save you over 90% on your heating! The first Passivhaus was built in Germany in 1991, and recent tests show that the energy performance of the building was just as good now as when it was built 21 years ago! Imagine the savings everyone would make! Energy companies certainly won't be too pleased!


So here's my thinking. Are we building our houses in this country all wrong? The diagram above shows the requirement of triple glazing for the windows in the property. Well this is already available for people to buy. Heat ground exchangers are again already available. In fact pretty much everything in that diagram is available for builders to use when developing their new housing estates. So why aren't we?


Probably cost. House builders are notorious for putting in the cheapest possible materials to make the fattest profit margins possible. Nothing wrong with that. But perhaps a few of them could re-focus with a Passivhaus feel, making their homes more sustainable. They could probably demand a slightly larger price for the properties, while explaining to the customer that the extra cost now will be more than off-set by the energy savings made by the super-efficient measures built within the home.


I also think the Government needs to get properly behind this energy standard. I'm sure if more and more houses were built to the Passivhaus standard, their carbon emissions targets will be more achievable and reduce the overall carbon footprint of the country.

Energy bills are some of the biggest costs people have to endure on a quarterly or monthly basis. Any measure which aims to reduce significantly the amount of heat used and proven to do so should be seriously looked at.


This is my first foray into the world of Passivhaus, so apologies if there are any details wrong or if I have missed something vitally important out. Please pull me up on it and leave a comment.


Much more info on Passivhaus can be found at: http://www.passivhaus.org.uk/index.jsp

Energy Efficient Windows 2.0?

Some very smart people in South Korea have produced a new type of 'smart glass', which has the potential be cheaper and be more reliable than the current market offering.

How does it work? The glass is laced with a charge counterion polymer, which darkens in seconds when outside air temperatures become high - keeping the inside of your home cool. But crucially, the glass is able to become completely transparent in seconds during colder times of the year, meaning the glass can make the most of the sunshine on offer to create heat.

Korean scientists: "This type of light control system may provide a new option for saving on heating, cooling and lighting costs through managing the light transmitted into the interior of a house."

There have been skeptics of the current energy efficient glass on offer, and how well it really works in harnessing the sun's light, and the overall efficiency of the window. But with the creation of a type of glass that can be physically seen to change appearance due to the climate, it may help put that issue to bed.

The other plus point are the reports that it could be quite a bit cheaper than the current glass options available. This has to be welcome news for the whole industry. Installers and unit manufacturers alike would welcome the introduction of this new product, while hoping at the same time that the glass cartel don't take advantage and slap a premium price on it!

You can read the full report at: http://www.thetechherald.com/article.php/201139/7661/Korean-boffins-create-new-energy-efficient-smart-glass

External Condensation Over The Pond

I was reading an interesting article from www.pressroom.pella.com about condensation. I was reading to see what reasons they gave and how to go about reducing it. Then this section came up about external condensation:


Exterior condensation on windows occurs primarily in the morning when days are warm and humid, but nights are cool. Typically, it clears as the day warms. Exterior condensation can occur at any time, especially in warm, humid climates where interior temperatures are cooler than outdoor conditions. Exterior condensation means that windows are doing their job properly. However, if you spot excessive condensation on the inside of your windows, check your inside humidity – it may be a signal of potential problems if not addressed.


The bit I've underlined is the bit which I tell our customers exactly to the word how they've described it. Is exterior condensation a bigger problem in the US than here? Maybe so if www.pressroom.pella.com have felt the need to explain it. 


Now that we are selling much more thermally efficient windows, we are going to need to explain to future customers that this scenario could happen from time to time. The good thing is that it only last a couple of hours, and is physical proof that the windows are doing their job...and we haven't been just typical double glazing salesmen and just lied through our teeth!


The full article can be found here: http://pressroom.pella.com/fast_facts/87/ 

Too Hot

All the talk at the moment has been about the condensation on the outside of the glass when the weather conditions are cold enough and right, but as we all start to fit more and more energy efficient windows, another problem is going to arise - overheating.


All south facing sides are going to experience increased solar gain, meaning it's going to get rather warm. I've already had a few customers ask this question of me, and I just laugh it off saying just to open a window, which in reality is going to be the only thing we can say.


If we have customers reacting 'energetically' over condensation to the outer panes on the few times during the winter, are we going to have customers complaining that their livings rooms and bedrooms are far too warm? Also, we are more likely to experience days that are going to be warmer, than days that are going to cause external condensation, so this potentially could become a bigger issue. 


Once this information gets out into the public domain and starts to become a point of interest for people, then we will find out how much of an issue this will be. 

A Day Of Changes

Today is now the day where we have to fit doors with a 1.8 U-Value or better, windows with a U-Value of 1.6 or better or to at least a C rating as a minimum. The windows side of things I think most companies are up to date with (hopefully!), but doors is the bit where most have been slow on the uptake.


There was so much focus on windows and how they would comply, that doors were really only thought about two weeks prior to today. Any responsible company will have made sure that they are sourcing products which were ready to conform to the new standards as of today. 


Is there panic in offices up and down the country today? Or does the industry just not care about the changes, knowing that they can probably get away with it for a few more months yet?

It's That Time Of Year Again!

For those who have been installing energy rated windows for the last couple of years, you will be all too aware of what this post is all about. Condensation.


When we started selling energy rated windows, one of the selling points was the fact that you could cut out a lot of the condensation on the inside of the windows. 'Great', we all thought, then 'bugger', soon afterwards. Providing the weather conditions are right, and the property is situated in the right place, energy rated windows actually condense on the outer pane. So as your customers wake up to a nice crisp winter morning, they can't see a thing!


Problem is there isn't much we can do about it. We now have to fit them by law, so there is no way to get round that. It also becomes increasingly harder to say to the customer that these reduce condensation, when 4-6 months of the year they might be steamed up on the outside! So what do we do?


We can either risk telling the customer upon demonstration of the windows, risking the cowboy competition saying that theirs don't and allowing them to get one up on you. Or, fit the windows, knowing that weather conditions won't always be conducive and it won't always happen (providing it's not a long cold winter like the last one!).


One thing to say to any customers that might ring up and complain is that it is proof the windows are doing their job, keeping your heat in, and the cold out. It's a funny problem, and one which I don't think anyone could even see coming.

WER May Have Been Doomed From The Start

Whenever new initiatives are introduced, usually some market research takes place to see if the proposed idea is worth rolling out. So, when I found the following report published by Reuters in mid-March of this year, I started to question the strength of the foundations of the WER scheme:

(Reuters) - British consumers are still thinking about the price of the electronic goods they buy, rather than saving energy, according to a survey commissioned by energy-saving technology manufacturer Energenie on Monday.

Only 16 percent of British consumers said energy efficiency influences their purchasing decisions, whereas 60 percent said price was the main factor, according to research conducted by consultancy Vanson Bourne.

Out of the families surveyed, 73 percent of thought they were doing enough to be considered environmentally friendly and most claimed to have energy efficient devices in their homes.

But out of those, 81 percent had energy-saving light bulbs but much fewer had adopted other energy-saving measures such as double glazing, cavity wall insulation or energy-saving dishwashers or washing machines.

"Using energy-saving light bulbs is a great start, but it is a very passive way of reducing household energy consumption. What this proves is that for people to do something, it has to be simple and easy," Alan J. Tadd, managing director of Energenie, said in a statement.

The research also found that 43 percent of people do not switch electrical appliances off at the mains and one fifth of men admitting they were too lazy to do so.

What this report suggests pretty strongly is that as a nation we are still very far away from making any real effort to create a greener environment for ourselves. In fact it's pretty sad that such a large proportion of those interviewed thought that by having energy saving light bulbs they were doing their bit.

So back to the windows perspective. With the Great British public still so turned off to the idea of being energy efficient, was the WER scheme ever going to work? The evidence suggests not. The BFRC recently said that less than 10% of our industry had actually embraced the WER scheme. And as the report above suggests, only 16% of the buying public consider the energy efficiency of the product when purchasing. So what hope did we have of ever making WER a success? We have been trying to sell it's advantages to a public that just isn't interested, and is being sold by and industry who was never really behind it in the first place!

Bent Industry Organisations

I have tried desperately myself to keep optimistic about the WER scheme and it's enforcement on October 1st. But after finding out what I have over the past 48 hours, I've lost all faith I had in it. The more the BFRC's plan has unravelled, the more it looks as though it has just been a money making scheme from day one.

When WER ratings were introduced, this looked to be a great new selling tool. It would help companies differentiate themselves from their competitors and try to boost sales. The industry had a shiny new toy, yet most didn't want to play with it.

Then, at the beginning of this year, the BFRC announced the option for installers to register their products in their own name so they could obtain an energy ratings certificate with their name on the top. Obviously there was a price to pay, hundreds in fact. So as you can imagine, there wasn't a massive uptake from that initiative. But there was never going to be. Having an installers name on a WER certificate was never going to have any selling advantage.

So, come Summer, we had the Part L decisions to digest. And lo and behold, the decision makers thought it would be a novel idea that for installers to show energy efficiency compliance, they HAD TO HAVE one of these WER certificates. How handy is that!? Just weeks after the BFRC announced the option to put installers' name at the top of their certificates, it's suddenly announced that it's now law, and we would have to pay for it!! Who's been scratching who's back I ask!

Still, we seemed to handle that OK, and just got on with the business at hand. But a few started to look at the science behind it all, and how the BFRC had come up with their results. Champion of this was Kevin Ahern. His main quarrel was with how the solar gain factor was calculated, and especially how north facing areas were factored into their equations. But, after repeated requests to Giles Wilson, his questions returned unanswered. This for me is where this whole scheme started to unravel, and quickly. The whole credibility of the scheme was brought into question and the very fathers of the scheme couldn't come out and defend it.

This rumbled off for a while, and was replaced with the short, sharp rejection of the DGCOS - another ombudsman scheme a tired, clogged up industry didn't need. But before long Part L changes were the main topic of discussion - mainly doors this time and how they were going to be passed. We thought that doors 50% glazed or more had to have a U-Value of 1.8 or less. Hence the rush and panic to get all the industry's doors tested in time.

Then, over the weekend on the GlassTalk website, Quorn Conservatories received this letter from FENSA:

Compliance Against a Minimum U Value
a) Simple Method


If you are installing a PVC or a timber and the frame is fitted with sealed units which make use of soft-coat Low E Glass, warm edge spacer (minimum 16mm) and 90% argon gas, Then FENSA will consider without further evidence that the U value of 1.6 has been achieved i.e there will be no need to provide further evidence to the consumer or to the FENSA inspector, providing there is no evidence to suggest that our assumption is incorrect. (In timber windows the depth of the frame from front to back must be a minimum of 70mm).

Up until this, we were all under the impression we had to either have a WER certificate showing a C rating or better, or a similar piece of paper showing a U-Value of 1.6 or better. But according to what FENSA have said above, we don't need any sort of paperwork to prove this, we just have to let them know we are fitting windows to that standard if they want to drop in for one of their checks.

So, where are we now? Basically, thousands of companies have spent thousands of pounds testing dozens of products to obtain certificates to show compliance, only for FENSA to tell us right at the very last minute that we don't need all that!

What message is this going to send out to all the clowns and cowboys in this industry! They are still going to be able to get away with fitting a load of old shite, passing it off as efficient and get away with it. While others have been playing to the supposed new rules and gone down the certification route, for it all to be a waste of time money and resources.

BFRC, GGF, FENSA - you should all hang your heads in shame. You've conned money out of the companies that you were supposed to be helping. I've been in this industry for just over four years full time, and have heard about some of the things that have gone on in our proud industry. I kept faith in industry bodies that everyone was saying were corrupt, but I ignored them, and it turns out foolishly. Your actions and handling of this whole episode show a complete lack of understanding about the industry you represent. The industry was never ready for this sort of upheaval, but you knew that. You knew that if you made certification law, installers would just simply hand money over to line your pockets.

All I can say is well done. You've managed to piss off an entire industry, and to alienate it even more. If you were to tell me a million times that what I have just alleged is wrong, I still would not believe a single word. You've lost yourself a member of the younger generation that will one day soon take the place of those in position now.

This Is Why The Industry Is A Joke!

I've just read an e-mail sent by FENSA setting out information about the coming changes to Part L. On the last page of that e-mail it goes on to say: "It is generally anticipated the revisions will require at least a BFRC 'C' energy rated window and probably an equally demanding alternative method to demonstrate compliance".

So there we go. We can just about guarantee that we are either going to have to register and pay for certification, or go back to showing U-values to show that everything is above board and legal. But, because the A-G energy rated scale is recognisable to the general public, the BFRC can almost guarantee that nearly everyone will sign up to their method of compliance and make an absolute (and devious) fortune.

But it goes on. FENSA are nicely putting on a whole host of seminars to aid businesses into this transition, ready for 1st October. But you have to pay £25 + VAT per delegate. What a rip off! So they want us to pay hundreds of pounds for a certificate that hasn't even been proven to be accurate yet, then pay through the nose to be told roughly what we already know already! Frankly I think some piss taking is going on round about now. With the money the BFRC are going to make, it would have been nice to have a few free seminars, or at least some shiny new booklets explaining everything to us.

How Much Money Can Energy Rated Windows Actually Save You?

Every month, more and more marketing materials gets released telling us how much money our customers can save by putting in energy efficient windows. The problem is, every time we get this new material, the numbers are all different!

I've had materials telling me customers can save £180, £200, £461, £600 or even £800 a year on energy bills! Obviously from a salesmans angle, thet want to tell the customer how much they could save per year, it acts as a big selling advantage. But the credibility of the information starts to suffer when other salesmen tells the same customer different figures.

This problem contributes to the overall discussion going on at the moment about the reliability of how scientifically accurate the methods were when testing energy rated windows. What the industry needs is a reliable figure, give or take £10 or £20, to be able to say to the customer 'this is how much you could actually save'. Until then, customers are going to be a bit sceptical.

What I would like to know is who managed to work out that one household could save £800 a year on energy bills!

How Many Of You Out There Are Still Selling 'E' Rated Windows?

There are still many in the industry that report that only a quarter, perhaps a third maximum, of all companies are actually actively promoting and selling energy rated windows. We took the decision a while back to sell only 'A' rated windows as standard, which was made easier by our manufacturers dropping the energy rated surcharge. And since then we have had our competitors producing all sorts of lies and stories to get around the excuse that they simply don't sell energy efficient windows.

So a bit of honesty if you will please. How many of you out there still only sell windows that fall in the minimum 'E' rating catagory? If you are, then why? There is still a lot of questions being asked of the WER system, so explain if it is that. Or are there manufacturing/selling issues?

I want to try and get some idea as to why so much of the industry hasn't lept on such an easy selling tool. In October the bar is being raised to 'C', it's obvious that there is much work to be done if we are to get our house in order.

'A' Rated Windows Doesn't Always Mean Quality

What is becoming quite obvious to me now is that customers are confusing energy efficiency with quality. This is a common misconception. We all now it is quite easy to achieve an 'A' rated window if you have the right ingredients; argon gas, super spacers, low iron, low E etc. But this doesn't mean that the window is very secure, or that it's going to last a long time, or that the frame is reinforced. You get my point. WER's add to the OVERALL quality of the window, and this is what we need to be getting across to customers in order for firms to differentiate themselves.

When you get a customer ring up and say: "well wibbly wobbly windows down the street say they can get just as good an 'A' rated window", we need to be asking/telling them about the other various better qualities of your product, as opposed to just focussing on the energy ratings.

WER's I think have blinded some people into forgetting or just not emphasising enough the other USP's and qualities of the product.

Energy Savings Calculator

One thing that I don't think companies are doing enough is making use of energy savings calculators. We have one we use at the minute and we find it a great help when trying to get across to the customer how our 'A' rated windows could save them significant amounts of money when compared to what they have installed at the minute.

Only on a couple of websites have I seen example of how much money can be saved by installing energy rated windows. To me, this is one of the best tools in which to get across to the customer how much they could potentially save on their energy bills. Customers become much more engaged if they can see an obvious benefit such as the one energy efficient windows can provide.

Perhaps though, companies aren't doing this so much because they are sceptical about how accurate these energy ratings actually are, or how they have been calculated. The last thing this industry needs however is for the public to become aware of the industry's sceptisism. WER's are the best selling angle we have had for a while. Let's not spoil it and really use it to it's full potential, rather than waste it by analysing it to pieces.

Will The Budget Provide Any Cheer For The Window Industry?

We are going to have the last budget before the upcoming election on Wednesday, and I'm sure many in the window industry will be looking to the Government for some much welcome support. Like the car industry and boiler industry, there has been a concerted effort on the Government's petitions website for Number 10 to implement a similar scheme to gove the double glazing industry a boost.

However, I fear that not enough of us went on and signed the petition. Out of the tens of thousands that work in this industry, only 4367 people actually put their name down. This is a very poor showing, and just proves that the window industry remains splintered and lathargic when it comes to putting our collective weight behind things which can improve the sector we work in.

Alistar Darling has already said that the upcoming budget is not going to be a 'give-away' budget, but one that is sensible and one that is designed to secure the economic recovery. Sounds promising, but we need to be hearing of more support for the contruction and green industries.

Wishlist: 5%/0% VAT on energy 'A' rated windows.
                 Scrappage scheme.
             
No how likely do you think these things are?!

How Many Installers Are Really Pushing Energy Rated Windows?

WER's have done well for the window industry. I know there is an argument about how we actually come to get accurate values to come up with an eventual rating, but that aside, it's given the customer something quantifiable. Just like white goods have the same energy scaling, customers instantly recognise it. But how many of us are really pushing energy efficiency of windows to it's full potential?

The most likely scenario when it comes to energy efficiency is a customer will go into a showroom and get a demonstration from a salesman. He'll show them the usual, locks, profile types, colours, security etc and then briefly touch energy efficiency, he might even tell them the rating their windows have. If the customers is switched on he/she will ask what is the difference between an 'A' rated window to an 'E' rated window. Thats when reps should be able to impress the customer with their expert knowledge of what makes their window so efficient. If he can, good start, but it's nowhere near the end of what he should be telling the customer. From there he needs to be telling the customer/s all the potential benefits energy efficient windows could bring to them. It's also an opportunity to upsell. If the customer that has come in only wants to replace the front of their house, there is instantly an argument for replacing the back.

When we face that scenario, the amount of customers that go from replacing a few windows to all of them is huge. If they see an opportunity to claw back some of the money they spend on extra windows through lower energy bills, you've immediately got their attention. We also have a CD where if we get certain details about the customer's property we can give them an estimation of how much money and CO2 they could save over the course of a year. What does also help is if you fit energy rated windows as standard. We made the decision over a year ago to sell 'A' rated windows as standard. We managed to negotiate with our suppliers and we have not looked back since. But being able to sell 'A' rated windows as standard, and genuinely, not dressed up as an offer, has also been a huge benefit.

Personally, I can't see why others are still selling 'C' or 'B' rated windows when 'A' rated windows cost hardly anything, if any, extra. But, for now, we'll be happy to keep that advantage over others!

WER's Save A Stagnant Industry

What would have happened to the window industry if WER's hadn't come along? Before window energy ratings showed their face, companies were trundeling along, selling their windows and doors on the same selling points: security and aesthetics.

What used to split companies apart was the security that was used in their windows and doors. Luckily for us we always had a fantastic product with great security features. This helped us win orders against companies at the lower end of the market. However, as the industry progressed, other manufacturers began to catch up and the playing field become more level. The market began to merge together again, lines blurred and it became harder to win orders.

When security wasn't doing the trick, the next road to go down was the aesthetics of what you were selling. There was a lot of plain out there. Lots of flat, chunky, boring PVCu frames. Then sculptured frames came along and became a game changer. We were one of the first to start using the sculptured frames, and that immediately set us apart from other competition. But, as with everything, over the years companies caught up and sculptured frames became the norm. The playing field levelled up again. Companies had to search for other selling points to win orders. That came in the form of things such as company history, white/cream/black woodgrain, age of the business, reputation, freebies etc. But nothing was significant.

That was until WER's came along. Suddenly, here was something that was simple, was a clear advantage to installers and customers alike, and something to point an industry lost within itself back in the right direction. And it came just in time. Just as WER's came to prominance, the industry started to decline in a very serious manner. WER's gave struggling companies a lifeline. Something to help promote their products in a new 'green' light. WER's mean't profit margins could be restored, falling conversion rates could be boosted, and optimism grew. However, over the last 2/3 years it has been introduced, still only roughly a third (maybe less) of businesses have taken WER's on board and actively sold the advantages. We use the energy efficiency of our products as our main selling point. When replacing windows in the future, energy efficiency is going to be one the of most important factors. So what has confused me is why so many companies are taking so long to get on board. When sculptured frames came out, companies quickly got on the band wagon, as they did with different coloured wood grains and break secure door cylinders. So, if any one reading this isn't pushing WER's, why? It's given the window industry the jolt it needed, and is going to be the main driving force for many years to come.

How Big Is The Condensation Problem Going To Be?

We had another couple of customers contact us today regarding condensation on their new windows. Luckily, after explaining the physics of the problem they understood and the matter went no further. But as we all know, customers in this industry can sometimes be a royal pain in the backside over things like this.

Is this going to be a permanent trouble causer for the future? All we have been selling over the past year and before is 'A' rated windows. I can see in the future a larger proportion of these customers coming back to us to report the same problem. The second problem is going to occur when this feature of energy rated windows becomes openly known to the public, which it will! Is it going to put some potential customers off? The task of selling energy saving windows could be a tad harder from that point onwards.