The scourge of the UPVC window and energy efficiency

Restored sash windows

An interesting piece in the Financial Times weekend edition (24/25 March) by Dr Simon Thurley, chief executive of English Heritage.

Dr Thurley presents the challenge faced by this country to reduce energy use in housing. He points out that 27% of our CO2 emissions come from burning fossil fuel to heat our homes. Significantly he warns us that by 2050 only a third of UK housing will have been built since 2007, presumably one would hope, to reasonably good standards of energy efficiency.

The remaining two thirds will be just as leaky and inefficient as they are now, unless something is done to improve them. Unfortunately there seems to be no sign whatsoever of this happening.

Dr Thurley comments on the ability of traditional buildings to be energy efficient as long as one understands how they work. He is particularly scathing on the use of plastic windows.

In my view these are particularly disastrous for older houses both aesthetically and technically. They are a sure-fire way to disfigure a harmonious Victorian facade whilst providing an inferior solution from an energy efficiency standpoint. Dr Thurley shows that properly maintained traditional windows with shutters or thick curtains can be just as, or more efficient, at keeping in the heat as plastic.

Critically, owners of plastic windows will never recover their outlay by energy savings because the windows are designed to last only about 20 years. Good sash windows can potentially last for centuries, and do not involve intense energy use or harmful chemicals in their manufacture.

I can vouch for all this having lived in a large Victorian house (ca 1885) and found it in a sorry state, having been 'modernised' by previous owners. All that was required to make this house extremely pleasant and comfortable was to repair the sash windows, eliminate draughts, ensure proper ventilation, and reinstate the fireplaces (a more appropriate decor helped too). Having done all this and changed the boiler we reduced our heating costs by half.