Should UK Government Encourage landlords (social & private) to double glaze all their properties?

Question

It's a well known fact that properties with double glazing reduce cold weather energy usage by a factor of as high as 40%.
When I lobbied my Social Housing Association to replace our old single glazed sash windows with secure, sympathetic, energy efficient double glazed units I was informed that it would spoil the image of the town!!!?
A closer inspection of the towns windows showed me that of the properties that I viewed only 3 were in fact double glazed the rest some 400 were all single glazed properties with sash windows most needing urgent repair.
It does not take a mathematician to see just how much energy could be saved if some 2000(min) windows were replaced with double glazing units, multiply this nationally and we could probably fulfil our Kyoto agreement 'quota' in a matter of a few years not decades.

Yes Lobster - balance was part of the issue re: Sympathetic (lookalike) units are available and should of course be used.

Fred - I could not agree with you more.
Besides lobbying Landlords/local MP's,Local newspapers, I have also lobbied DEFRA (D.Millibands)office - had a pleasant reply - that was it.

Answer 1

What it all comes down to is cost. Landlords are in business to make money, if they have to spend more to double glaze, they are going to charge more for leasing. You are correct, it does make moral sense, but business sense is all about pounds and pence. Pardon the pun, but it's true.

Answer 2

Styles have really changed and I'm sure comparable styles are there. So, sounds like the person you spoke to doesn't want the work.
Collect some studies on efficiency of the double glazed windows, pictures of comparably styled windows, examples of the many windows in disrepair and especially how much money would be saved. Present it again and let them know you are presenting it to the people who are above them and if all else fails the news always loves an expose on government waste(especially when the gov't runs campaigns for the private citizen to save energy.)

Answer 3

I could be wrong (I usually am)
Yet I am positiver I read somewhere that the uk has until 2010 to bring all of it's housing stock up to European standards.
These measures include double glazing and is the reason the new law came in stating that double glazing must only be installed by approved companies.

By the way, I have also heard that contrary to popular belief that the Polish immigrants are taking all the council housing stock.
The truth is that the councils are not allowed to issue houses to Poles or any other European as they are not up to standard,

Answer 4

Well done for trying to change things for the better.
the UK governmant does encourage landlords to bring their properties up to high standards
http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1152136.
quote "ODPM [now DCLG] also recommends that landlords take the opportunity to go over and above the Standard when carrying out work. For instance:

Installing extra insulation
Fitting double glazing
Replacing old boilers with new condensing ones
Considering using low carbon, renewable or other innovative technologies.
Landlords can seek funding for works from energy suppliers via the EEC (Energy Efficiency Commitment) programme or in the private sector from the Warm Front programme. Both schemes are overseen by DEFRA, for more information see the useful links section."

it's just sometimes hard to see this guidance applied to real world situations

Answer 5

In a word - yes. this is a typical example of the beaurocratic bollox this country has become.

If we, as a nation, were to introduce a COHERENT policy of sustainability, energy usage and emissions control, we courd sort it in a matter of a few short years. We constantly hear about the need to re-examine our future energy needs, how we are going to have to get big into nuclear power etc. etc. and it's all toss. Instead of concentrating on consumption, we should be concentrating on saving energy - simple things like energy saving light bulbs could make a massive difference. If the government was really serious, they'd buy 100million low energy bulbs (imagine the deal you could get on that quantity!) and give 3 to every household in Britain. Imagine the difference that number would make!

However, until we are able to seperate Government from Big Business, the focus will never move from consumption. In the meantime I'm just concentrating on my own lifestyle!

Answer 6

YES! I think now those POP things we have to buy before selling our houses will make people do more 'greening' to their homes, as you get a rating in the report for how energy efficient you are. I live in an old draughty Victorian and just insulated the roof, (with wool!) but can't afford to do the sash windows right now. Why won't the government subsidise this? At least now, I use ecotricity as an energy provider, so my carbon footprint is lower.

Answer 7

It would be a very mean or backward thinking landlord who refused to replace single glazed windows with double glazed windows in this, the 21st century.
They don't like spending money and if they delay it's the tenant who ends up paying the cost.
It's very unfair and the government should step in and make it a standard to be adhered as soon as possible.

Answer 8

How could double glazing spoil the image of anything? It's virtually invisible; I replaced my windows with those years ago. They should also require that all incandescent light bulbs be replaced with the fluorescent ones as a a15 W fluorescent gives the equivalent of 60 W of an incandescent bulb. Kudos to you for trying.

Answer 9

YES grants should be available for this and other energy saving methods.
Photo voltaic slates on every roof would be a sensible solution,in Germany you can get a 50 per cent grant and for every unit of clean electricity your property produces above and beyond its immediate use it pays 1 . 5 for each and every unit. Begs the question who has shares in conventional energy companies?? ETC

Answer 10

Nope, the landlord does not have to fit double glazes windows!