
A Guide to Energy Efficiency and How It Works
Nowadays, we are all aware of the effects of global warming. New homes have to be energy efficient. This is obviously good for the environment, but it also helps to reduce your energy bills along with your carbon footprint. Increased energy efficiency isn't restricted to new homes; there are ways we can improve older existing properties too.
To make your home more energy efficient, one of the key things you should consider is replacing your outdated windows and doors, which is what we're going to cover in this article. It's obvious that all homes lose heat through windows and doors, but you may be surprised how much this can be reduced when energy-efficient products are installed.
What are the benefits?
Increased comfort - You'll notice an immediate significant reduction in heat loss resulting in a more comfortable home with fewer draughts and cold spots.
Noise reduction - With softer, warmer spacer bars, new double glazing is naturally quieter. For areas with increased noise, we recommend acoustic glazing to achieve further soundproofing.
Reduced carbon footprint - More heat will be kept inside the home with energy-efficient glazing, resulting in reduced energy usage and bills.
Improved security - Generally, new windows and doors will have improved security over your existing products with the latest advancements.

The image above was taken from outside the property and clearly shows a reduction in heat loss.
Energy-Efficient Glazing Explained
Double-glazed windows are by far the most popular type of energy-efficient window in the UK. Thanks to their two sheets of glass, double-glazed windows create a barrier of insulation that keeps your heat in and the cold out. Quite simply put, if you add an additional sheet of glass, you have triple glazing, which is also available.
Energy-efficient windows are specifically designed to reduce your carbon footprint, save money on your energy bills, and overall make your home more comfortable. They do this with the following features:
Capturing warmth from the solar energy that comes through your glass.
Reduced heat escaping from inside the home through the frame and glass.
Prevented heat loss and sound escaping through air leaks around the windows.
Windows achieve specific ratings depending on how well they can achieve these three things.

Manufacturing Energy-Efficient Windows
Energy-efficient windows can vary in performance. They are graded on how well they prevent heat from passing through, how little air leaks around and through the frame, and how much sunlight can travel through the glass.
Glazing
The most energy-efficient double glazing uses low emissivity (low-e) glass, which is widely used across the double glazing industry. A clear, microscopic coating is applied to the inner pane of the double-glazed unit. The coating helps prevent heat from escaping your home and captures warmth from natural daylight. At Supreme Windows Ltd, we use Planitherm glass in all our windows.
Double and Triple Glazed Gaps
Glass units are completely sealed to prevent any moisture from getting in or air/gas from escaping. To achieve high levels of efficiency, we need to insulate the air gap with a special gas. This gas has a lower conductivity than our air. To keep the heat inside your home, we use argon gas in all of our insulated glass units.

Spacer Bars
A spacer bar is used around the edge of the units between the paines of glass to seperate them. Aluminium spacers were initually used in double glazing, if you have older non energy rated windows you will be able to see them. These aluminium spacers actually help heat loss as metal and aluminium in particular is an excellent conductor.
These days, efficient windows will use warm edge spacer bars which are composed of foam. They provide excellent insulation and are a massive improvement over aluminum. Our units are made using Super Spacer Warm Edge technology, which is 950 times less conductive!
Frame Materials
Contrary to the old reputation of aluminum and steel windows, modern aluminum windows can achieve excellent levels of thermal efficiency and perform closely to uPVC. They are strong, slim, long-lasting, and can be recycled. To help aluminum achieve their thermal performance, they feature a polyamide thermal break which prevents heat transfer and foam inserts in the outer frames.
uPVC windows are naturally not as conductive as metal, and since they are made of plastic, they can be recycled and last a long time. uPVC windows are composed of various chambers which give them additional strength. Air naturally fills the chambers, which improves thermal efficiency.
Window Energy Ratings (WER) Explained
To see how efficient a window is, the British Fenestration Rating Council (BFRC) developed a rating system which is easy for consumers to understand and free from sales jargon. The ratings range from A++ to E.
A Window Energy Rating (WER) takes into account the whole window, i.e., frame, and glass. The window is assessed on how well it can retain heat in your home.
A U-value is also calculated when the WER is issued. The more heat a glass unit will retain in your home, the lower the U-value will be. Glass is measured on how easily the heat will pass through.
At Supreme Windows Ltd, we offer a wide range of windows with various Window Energy Ratings. To meet your specific circumstances, such as new build requirements, we can improve the WER ratings where needed. Please speak to us for more information.

Purchasing Energy Efficient Windows
There is a lot to consider when investing in energy-efficient windows. With an almost endless amount of options regarding style, colours, and hardware, it's important to remember that above all, security and thermal efficiency are key.
Here are a few points to consider when buying new windows.
We recommend using the GGF Energy Saving Calculator to help you find out what potential savings you will benefit from by having energy-efficient windows.
Norfolk, in particular, has a high number of listed buildings, conservation areas, and properties listed under an Article 4 direction. If you suspect any of these may affect your property, we recommend contacting your local authority for advice. This doesn't always mean you can't install energy-efficient windows, but there may be certain criteria that need to be met. We can aid you through this process.
Windows and doors should be installed by a professional. It's important that your installation complies with building regulations. At Supreme Windows Ltd, our team has many years of experience and has the necessary accreditations like FENSA, for example.
Interested in Energy-Efficient Windows? Start Your Quote Today.
Take action now to enhance the thermal efficiency of your home. Contact our team at 01945 880091 or fill out our online contact form for more information.
For a more personal touch, visit our showroom. We welcome you 5 days a week, Monday to Friday, between 7 am and 5 pm to receive expert advice and discover our range of Secured by Design products.