If you’ve been sat in your Chandlers Ford living room this winter with a jumper on and the heating cranked up, you’re not alone. A recent industry report has confirmed what a lot of homeowners already suspect: an awful lot of UK houses are losing heat through the fabric of the building long before anyone even thinks about a fancy new heat pump.
The report, from insulation body INCA, makes the case for what’s called a “fabric first” approach. In plain English, that means sorting out the parts of your home that leak heat, like tired old windows and doors, before you spend money on solar panels or heat pumps. As industry expert Colin King put it, the most affordable energy is the energy you never have to use in the first place.
The figures are eye-opening too. At the end of last year, an estimated 7.6 million UK homes with solid walls still had no wall insulation at all, and single-glazed or ageing UPVC windows are just as guilty of letting heat slip away. If your frames are more than 15 to 20 years old, chances are the seals have degraded and you’re paying for warmth that’s escaping through the glass.
That’s where new UPVC windows earn their keep. Modern units are built with multi-chamber frames and improved glazing that keep heat in during winter and out during the height of summer, cutting draughts and condensation along the way. For homeowners in Chandlers Ford and Eastleigh thinking about where to spend first, windows are often the most cost-effective upgrade you can make before considering anything else.
Fortress UPVC has been fitting quality windows, doors and conservatories across Chandlers Ford and Eastleigh for years, and can talk you through what would make the biggest difference to your home’s warmth and your bills. Have a look at their range and get in touch via fortressupvc.co.uk/.