Don't sell 'A-rated glass,' warns BFRC - or risk £5,000 fine
17th March 2015

There is no such thing as ‘A-rated glass’ – so don’t advertise it. That is the warning from the ratings body, the BFRC, which says claims such as ‘A-rated glass as standard’ could lead to a fine of up to £5,000.

“There is no scheme in the UK that rates glass in isolation,” explained BFRC technical director Dr Gary Morgan.  “All WER schemes operate in an identical way - rating the whole window including glass, frames, spacer bars and gaskets.  It is not possible under current European Regulations to provide an energy rating for glass in isolation from the other window components.  

“While it is true that certain glazing specifications are widely used in ‘A’ and ‘A+’ rated windows, the glazing itself does not guarantee an ‘A’ or ‘A+’ rating for the whole window.  The frame system also has to be thermally efficient to enable the complete window to obtain a favourable rating.

“Claims such as ‘A-rated glass’ obviously designed to give the impression that the window itself is ‘A’ or ‘A+’ rated, which is misleading.”

A Trading Standards spokesperson added: “An advertising claim that a type of glass is ‘A’ energy rated is likely to breach the Business Protection from Misleading Marketing Regulations 2008 (and / or Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading 2008) if, as BFRC has outlined, the claim is meaningless in relation to glass but is likely to be understood as indicating a more energy-efficient product than other types of glass.

 “An offence under the Regulations can attract a £5,000 fine if heard in magistrates’ court, or an unlimited fine and/or 2 years’ imprisonment if heard at crown court. Enforcement is by local authority trading standards officers.”

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) also has a view.  “The ASA is reminding advertisers in the glazing sector of the importance of ensuring their ad claims can be substantiated and don’t mislead. Misleading ads give an unfair advantage to businesses who don’t play by the rules, they also erode consumer trust. Having your ad investigated and subsequently banned by the ASA can be time consuming and costly as well as damaging your reputation. We urge advertisers to seek free, expert advice from the Committee of Advertising Practice on how to stick to the rules and avoid misleading would be customers,” added Matt Wilson, ASA Communications & Marketing Manager.

www. bfrc.org