Double Glazing Grants

There was a time when insulating a building was something that we thought about but more often than not pushed to the back of our minds. Never thought of as a luxury but equally never at the forefront of the list of improvements.

With a greater general concern about our individual contributions to the carbon footprint, with the introduction of the Home Energy Reports needed to sell a property and perhaps not least of all the increased cost of fuel now is the time to give serious consideration to providing effective insulation by Double Glazing those ineffective single pane windows.

There has never been a greater need to improve energy efficiency in your building.

' That's all very well' I can hear you say ' but It costs a lot of money.' Yes it does cost money but not doing it costs money also, so doing nothing is not really a sensible option.

The truth is that it may not cost as much as you first thought and if you search around you may find that grants and discounts are available which may reduce the costs considerably.

I would recommend that you start by looking at Energy Saving Trust. This impartial organisation who work with a number of organisations including the Government and energy suppliers enable you through their website to find what deals are available within your area simply by adding your postcode and volunteering a few bits of personal information.

There is good news to be had, energy saving is grant attracting in certain circumstances. As might be expected there are a number of factors which determine the likelihood of obtaining assistance namely - Where you live and whether your council are giving discretionary grants, your property, your age and whether you are receiving benefits.

Another useful site is the Government Website offering advice on insulation. This can be found at www.direct.cov.uk . Here home-owners are encouraged to make their homes more efficient in a variety of ways. Advice on Double Glazing and what assistance is available is offered through the Home Energy Saving programme.

The site points out that in certain circumstances using the Home Repair Assistant Grant it is possible to obtain assistance from your council towards the cost of improvements to your home. It is perhaps necessary to point out that there are likely to be long waiting lists for any grants available and you may have to be persistent.

Anyone over the age of 60 or with a disability is advised to contact Care & Repair a voluntary non-profit making organisation who will advise on the availability of grants in any area. In addition they will supervise the work of installation if necessary and help with the paperwork.

The Energy Saving Trust (EST) can also advise you on grants or efficiency schemes in your area. They can be contacted on 0845 727 7200.or use their website for detailed information.

One final point of call is your local Energy Efficiency Advice Centre (EEAC). The advisers there will assess your needs and offer advice on all aspects of energy efficiency, including government grants You can get details of your local EEAC by phoning 0800 512 012.

With such a range of sites available clearly the opportunity to look for grant assistance is there. You may be lucky but remember if you don’t qualify for help and your finances are tight, you could choose to just double glaze the windows in individual rooms rather than your entire property. You should pick the rooms you use most often and tend to heat most.

You could also consider having secondary glazing. Cheaper than double glazing and will still save money by cutting heat loss and draughts.