Windows and Saving on Your Utility Bills
Windows are necessary items in a home. Can you imagine a home without them? Of course not. Still, that beautiful view of the outside comes with a heavy price. Windows are the single biggest area where heating or cooling efforts are wasted. Heat gain and loss through windows accounts for up to 50 percent of a home’s heating and cooling needs. 
Because windows open and close, they almost always develop leaks where your hard earned money escapes in the form of heat transfer.
Homeowners with windows over 25 years old should seriously consider replacing them. Here are two reasons why, both to gain the best energy efficiencies and to protect the envelope of the house. Your home is an ideal candidate for a window replacement if its windows are sealed or painted shut or they allow drafts that come through them.
People living in cold climates know for sure, most installed windows are a horrible burden on your heating efforts. If you don’t believe me, go stand next to one of your windows on a winter day. It gets a bit chilly, eh?
To overcome your window problem, you really only have one good option. Install new Energy Star rated vinyl replacement windows. Energy Star is a government program designed to encourage manufacturers to build better stuff for your home. Products that qualify for the ENERGY STAR mark have been independently tested and certified to be among the most energy-efficient on the market, so installing them in your home will reduce your energy consumption and save you money.
But there’s more: energy-efficient vinyl replacement windows will also increase your comfort, cut down noise levels from outside the home, have less condensation in cold weather than standard products, and allow fewer ultraviolet rays to pass through glazed areas, thus better protecting your valuables from sun damage. Last but certainly not least, by reducing your home’s energy consumption, ENERGY STAR qualified windows, doors and skylights also reduce greenhouse gas emissions that are contributing to climate change.
ENERGY STAR is an international standard for energy efficient consumer products. It was first created as a United States government program in 1992, but Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan and the European Union have also adopted the program.
Climate change is a serious environmental problem that could have significant consequences for our health, our economy and our children’s future. All Canadians contribute to the problem, and we all need to be part of the solution. Making smart energy choices around the home (including installing ENERGY STAR qualified vinyl replacement windows and doors) is a great way to start.
If a product has an energy star sticker, it means it is going to save you cash on your utility bill. Since windows are problematic, the government has focused on them and you can now buy Energy Star windows at all home improvement stores.
If you are looking at purchasing energy efficient windows deal with companies you know or have a known good reputation. What you should be looking for is someone who can inform you about their product, without you feeling pushed to make a decision by some high pressure window sales people. Take your time to think about your potential purchase and possibly do some additional research. There is enough pressure in our society without adding an in home, high pressure replacement window purchase!
If you do nothing else after reading this article, take a close look at your windows. Think seriously about making them tighter or better yet replacing them. It could save you as much as forty percent on your utility bill.
