Fenestration bodies are now waiting to hear whether the long-standing call to cut VAT on windows has had any impact after the government’s deadline for submissions was due to pass this week.
The call for recognition of the role of windows in saving energy and cutting bills for homeowners is the latest in a series of pleas for glazing to be supported alongside other measures like loft insulation.
GGF’s Chris Beedel recently met Net Zero Secretary Grant Shapps to highlight the issue as laid out in the organisation’s ‘A Window of Opportunity’, document which sets out the contribution that replacing windows and doors can make to the Net Zero agenda.
He said: “It was a very productive meetings where I was able to take him through the document and demonstrate that over 80 Million windows which are over 20 years old are in need of urgent replacement. The advancement in window technology and design innovation means that windows produced today are 50% more energy efficient than older double glazing and will save the average household £467 a year. This is why it is essential that windows and doors are replaced as part of a fabric first approach along with other insulation measures.”
Grant Shapps said ‘I was delighted to meet with the GGF and see the excellent document ‘A window of Opportunity’. It shows the contribution that Glazing can make to saving energy, reducing C02 and saving money for homeowners. My department is committed to have further meetings with the GGF so that we can incorporate Glazing into our thinking and future programmes.
The document ‘A Window of Opportunity’, was developed by the GGF along with partner British Glass to highlight the heat loss in dwellings which is the worst in Western Europe. It sets out the savings that would be made if older double glazing was replaced with windows that meet the new energy efficiency requirements. The C02 savings alone would be the equivalents of taking 1.88 Million cars off the road and reducing household energy bills by £467 per year at the current capped rates.
