Which? probe finds national double glazing firms making false claims

An online report on a Which? undercover investigation in 2010, entitled "Double Glazing Sales Tactics Exposed", found that some salespeople in the industry were making dodgy claims - such as saying they were part of a government scrappage system that doesn’t exist - and pressurising people with discounts into signing up.

Which? personnel posed as potential double glazing customers, then asked Anglian, Everest, Safestyle, and Weatherseal/Zenith Staybrite to visit them at least four addresses each across Britain, and give them a quote for double glazing. This Which? investigation exposed "false claims from big firms' reps."

The Which? experts were "astounded by the tactics used", which included 6 out of 18 salespeople made misleading claims, such as ‘We’ve been tested by the government and were chosen for its scrappage scheme’ by an Anglian salesperson. 7 out of the 18 salespeople offered a discount if the Which? undercover researcher signed up immediately. 15 out of 18 offered significant savings, often half the ‘original’ price.

The Chief Executive of Which?, Peter Vicary-Smith commented "As a homeowner, replacing your windows is one of the most expensive jobs you’re likely to face, which is why we’re so disappointed to discover salespeople from the biggest names in the double glazing business making outlandish claims and using hard sell tactics."

Personally, I resent and deplore hard sell tactics, as they give the many good professionals in the double glazing industry a bad name, particularly as they unfairly tar reputable local independent double glazing manufacturers and installers with the same brush.

Many, like the Buckinghamshire based double glazing company I work for, have a "no pressure promise", which is totally opposite to the unprofessional behaviour (as exposed in the Which? probe) of some individual sales persons representing the "Nationals". Such morally poor actions are surely counter productive? In many cases they drive away customers, as it is my experience that property owners looking for replacement double glazing don't want any form of pressure applied to them when facing such an important investment decision - I certainly don't!

Consequently, I am proud to work for Hazlemere Window Company Ltd - a twenty-five year old family run firm that does not tolerate any hard sell tactics, plus is pleased to leave a detailed written quotation with a customer for them to consider in their own time and space.

The 2010 damming Which? report on the national double glazing companies serves as a reminder that there is still clearly too many selfish, pushy and uncaring persons working for the big boys. All I can hope is that the likes of Anglian and Everest clean up the acts of the representative 's exposed by Which?

Hundreds of years ago William Shakespeare wrote "something is rotten in the state of Denmark" (Hamlet Act 1 Scene 4). Sadly this still seems to apply to some sales persons representing National double glazing companies. Hopefully these unscrupulous individuals will soon be routed out by their pay masters or society to stop them taking advantage of the naive, elderly or timid.

Why UK Property Owners Only Have Until 30th September 2010 to Install Matching Windows and Doors

In an ideal world where money was no object I'd of course like to have the most up to date car in the marketplace that suited me. The truth is I cannot really afford the car I've got, and was thrilled with it when I first got it until four months later the Government increased the Road Tax on it from £300 to £400 a year, all because it was 6 g/km CO2 emissions over the 225 g/km car tax band limit. If you buy a petrol oe diesel vehicle with 231 g/km CO2 emissions today, 12 months Road Tax on it is now a whopping £750 a year!

The latest model they have produced of my car now has lower carbon emissions than my current car, is more energy efficient and has cruise control as standard, which mine unfortunately does not. However it also costs more than I can afford, plus I'd be paying higher road tax, so I learnt a long time ago to be content and extremely grateful, and very thankful for my little car as it has yet to break down, is quite fun to drive and gets me from A to B.

It is a very similar situation to the double glazed windows I had fitted to my Buckinghamshire home in 1994 by Hazlemere Window Company, who replaced every window and door with Monarch double glazed powder coated white aluminium windows and doors. All the sealed units were fitted with the latest (at the time) Pilkington K Glass and the toilet and bathroom windows with Pilkington Cotswold obscure glass double glazed sealed units.

At the time these Monarch double glazing products were highly energy efficient for their day, and my wife and I have been pleased with the investment we made in these high quality products. However, the Part L changes to the Building Regulations that come into effect on 1st October 2010 will sadly make our windows and doors obsolete come 30th September 2010.

Consequently, had we been planning an extension, or want to replace a window or door to match, we've ready got to order them by the middle of July 2010 at the very lateste to be ceratain to get them fitted before this Government deadline.

I am sure you can appreciate, that in 1994 I had no idea I would end up in the double glazing industry, or that thermally efficient window technology would advance so much year on year, to the extent that if money was no object and we had no intention of moving home, I would now replace all my windows and doors with the latest Sapa (Monarch) "A" energy rated aluminium windows, simply for the fantastic energy saving performance the most up to date double glazing products can now offer in terms of quality of life, security, aesthetics, insulation and heating bills.

The new Part L legislation does not just affect windows and doors, but many other parts of each premises, something I would strongly advise any property owner to find out about before embarking on any rennovation, extension or new build project.

The double glazing industry faces a major challenge, with the new Building Regulations effective making the vast majority of double glazed windows and doors obsolete overnight. Already window and door manufacturers like Hazlemere Windows are running down their stocks of the "old" soon to be discontinued aluminium profiles. Similarly, extruders like Sapa Building Systems are running down their stocks of the soon to be obsolete aluminium profiles, as no double glazing manufacturer or supplier wants to be left with extrusions that can not legally be made into windows and doors installed on or after 1st October 2010. There is one bit of good news, as aluminium frames can be 100% re-cycled, it means potentially that the obsolete extrusions will not go to waste after 30th September 2010 cut-off.

Although, as a consequence of the massive Part L changes, demand for existing double glazing products is expected to be high until 30th September 2010, so supply could become a real issue in terms of both availability of the product and indeed the very short time that property owners have to not only order replacement windows (that do not have a WER of "C" or above or have a combined U Value of 1.6 W/m2K), but also to have them surveyed, manufactured and installed before 1st October 2010 (when they become non-compliant with the new stricter Building Regulations aimed at ensuring property owners fit the latest most thermally efficient windows and doors).

Frankly, there is actually nothing wrong with our 1994 Monarch aluminium double glazed windows and doors. The only maintenance they have needed is a quick rub down with a damp cloth every few years and they look as good as new. Whilst our existing double glazing complies with the existing Building Regulations, should we wan to order new matching replacement windows and doors to the same specification, we only have till 30th September 2010 to do so, as after this deadline, no property owner or double glazing installer will be legally allowed to install them.

One another major thing to take into consideration is that the existing windows in our home do not cost so much to produce as the new generation "C", "B" and "A" energy rated windows, so consequently currently cost less to buy and install, so if you are in the middle of a replacement programme - now is the time to act before it is too late!

Do the growing number of potholes on our roads drive you potty?

Early in 2009 I contacted the Bucks County Council's Highways Agency twice during a six month period to register a dangerous pothole near where I live in Beaconsfield, Bucks. Nothing happened.

In November 2009 I registered a number of potholes in Wellington Road on Cressex Business Park, High Wycombe, Bucks, which is where I work for Hazlemere Window Company. Nothing happened.

Then the snow and ice came, and by the end of January 2010 in these two roads alone the potholes had enlarged, deepened, and like all over the UK, new potholes sprang up everywhere.

This deteriorating state of our roads (I can really only speak about South Bucks where I live and work where I have first hand knowledge and experience of the current dreadful state of the road network) must surely be of serious concern to all vehicle drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. Travelling to work in High Wycombe is now more like an adventure ride with motorists constantly swerving round potholes, so as to try to protect their tyres, wheel rims and suspensions, which occasionally results in them closely missing other oncoming vehicles.

I recently had to have a rear suspension linkage repaired on my car, so I am very well aware of the damage, time and inconvenience un-repaired potholes can cause. Why do Council Tax payers put up with the state of our roads? I just do not understand why more drivers do not complain. Surely if enough Council Tax payers made legitimate complaints, the authorities would have to make repairing our roads more of a priority?

Thankfully, the pothole I reported in Beaconsfield for a 3rd time earlier this year has now been repaired. However, despite yet again recently reporting the worsening state of Wellington Road in Cressex nothing has yet been done, and the road is just getting worse and worse. Given all the learners drivers in the region drive up and down this road constantly as the test centre is at the end of the road, you would have thought the Highways Agency would want not want learner drivers taking their test not to have to negotiate multiple potholes that remind me of a Somme battlefield!

When I did report the deteriorating road condition and the appearance of several new potholes to Bucks Highways Agency, the reply I received was that they had no money left to re-surface the road! They did say they would send someone at some point to have a look, but stressed they had no budget, and would only effect a repair if the pot hole was small and deep, as apparently wide pot holes present no danger as vehicles can navigate them safely they say! No wonder I have not seen anyone repairing potholes recently!

I asked about road safety, and if it would help if I wrote to my local MP to help secure Bucks Highways Agency more funding for vital repairs. Apparently not it seemed! Surely public safety and maintaining our roads should come before say cutting the grass on council owned fields or repainting building and fences etc.?

It seems to me that our UK roads will continue to crumble until someone in authority provides the Highways Agency with more funding and empowers them to systematically repair all the network. If we all now report all the potholes in the roads where we live and work, hopefully the authorities would realise the scale of the problem before it is too late, as potholes can cause road accidents and even deaths. When I was young road safety was taught in schools. Maybe it should also be taught to Council County and Government Transportation Chiefs who hold the purse strings and have the means to address the growing potholes crisis. Surely prevention is better than cure?

The Truth About the National Window Scrappage Scheme - Amazing what folk will believe nowadays!

I am amazed by how many potential double glazing customers have rung Hazlemere Window Company Ltd where I work in High Wycombe, Bucks, and asked me "Do you offer the government national windows scrappage scheme?"

Fair play to Anglian for clever marketing that has led consumers (like the ones I have spoken to personally) to somehow wrongly believe that there is actually a government national windows scrappage scheme - when at present there is not. The marketing I have seen for both Anglian and Everest do not mention the word "Government", but for some unknown reason some folk in the UK seem to "assume" that any national window scrappage scheme must be a government one?

Given there is a government national scrappage scheme for boilers (Up to £400 off if you qualify with an old enough boiler or something along those lines I believe?), and a national car scrappage scheme, I can sort of see why it is believable that some folk many actually miss-interpret the Anglian and Everest marketing messages to wrongly think that there is a government scrappage scheme for old windows!

There seems to have been a lot of research undertaken by consumers on this controversial subject, as many seem to be trying to find out whether or not there is in fact a government national windows scrappage scheme. If such a financially helpful scheme for property owners actually existed it would not only assist hard pressed householders, during these recessionary times, but also act as an incentive to fit the latest technologically advanced energy efficient energy saving double glazed windows.

However as the well known double glazing industry blogger "Renegade Conservatory Guy" points out on his blog it was only a matter of time before folk like Anglian and Everest "created their own window scrappage scheme", and going by some of the comments by consumers on his blog on the subject, some seem very unimpressed by such "obvious" marketing ploys.

My own view, is that many double glazing companies appear to build in huge discounts so some can "claim" to offer "up to 70% off" which is surely not credible? If any retail outlet offers 35%, 50% or 70% off, surely their original retail price must have been a rip off to start with? By building in such discounts into prices, this inflates the cost, so such marketing schemes like a "scrappage scheme" can be offered in lieu of the usual discount given away regardless. Plus the fact of the matter is any double glazing company worth their salt will take away your old windows as part of the service/contract anyway.

Why do any of us fall for such blatant marketing? I suspect it is because we all like a bargain, and/or want to think we are paying less than others, when in fact we can end up paying more than we should, so it is always wise to research any large purchases thoroughly, to ensure you hopefully end up getting the right value for money product, quality and service you deserve.

Sadly, whilst there is no government windows scrappage scheme, you can join the campaign led by the Glass and Glazing Federation (GGF) to have one by signing up the the number 10 petition submitted by Nigel Rees of the GGF. So far 4,236 have signed up, which has a closing date of 24th March 2010. "We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to introduce a window scrappage scheme in the UK to improve the energy efficiency of the existing housing stock." Click here if you would like to sign the petition

Obviously, if a government funded national windows scrappage scheme did ever exist, it should hopefully act as an incentive to install energy efficient energy saving "green" windows. Under the proposed Glass and Glazing Federation scheme it is hoped that householders will be encouraged to scrap their old poorly insulated windows in return for a £1,000 grant towards the installation costs of new, professionally installed, energy efficient double glazed ones. The benefits to consumers would include the £1,000 saving, a facelift for their property, lower energy bills and a reduction in their carbon footprint as a consequence of more energy efficient homes.

Surely, both the environment and Government carbon reduction targets would also benefit with the reduction of emissions from the existing housing stock?

Consequently, Buckinghamshire based Hazlemere Windows who I work for fully supports the GGF's call for a national window scrappage scheme, particularly after the proven success of the national car scrappage scheme, which reportedly has accounted for one in five of all new car sales over recent months!

Energy efficient windows (EEWs) can make a massive difference by improving the thermal performance of the existing UK housing stock. Nigel Rees, Chief Executive of the GGF, commented recently that "Energy Efficient Windows (EEWs) have a huge role to play in improving the thermal performance of the existing housing stock". "EEWs can reduce emissions by 10% from dwellings nationally and reduce national domestic energy expenditure by 10%."

Whilst the GGF proposed window scrappage scheme will obviously not save the planet, it would, if introduced, not only be a welcome financial incentive to UK property onwers, but it would also send the right sort of signal to consumers that the government (regardlss whether a conservative or labour one) is committed to encouraging and supporting energy efficiency, reducing the UK's carbon emmissions and helping home owners save energy and money. So, if you do want to lobby your local MP and the government for a real and genuine national windows scrappage scheme, now is as good a time as any to do so!

Watch out, watch out, changes to Part L of the Building Regulations are about!

In 2009 the Government outlined the proposed changes it intends to make to Part L of the Building Regulations in England and Wales in 2010.

You need to watch out carefully if you own your own home or property, as if these wide ranging changes to Part L of the Building Regulations do come into effect on 1st October 2010, as the Government intends, they will affect all existing English and Welsh properties which want to install replacement windows. The changes will also significantly effect anyone looking to build an extension or a new property, as energy efficiency wise, these new properties will "have to be at least 25% more efficient that current new buildings."

The implications are enormous, both financially and practically, as from 1st October 2010 these proposals will prevent property owners installing windows that have a BFRC energy rating of "D" or less. What this means is that the vast majority of double glazing products currently sold in the UK will only be able to be fitted up to 30th September 2010.

Consequently, property owners will only have until this deadline to legally install "matching" double glazed windows to any they have. When, as expected these proposals become law from 1st October 2010, there may well be prior to this, a rush by property owners to order replacement windows early enough to ensure they are both supplied and fitted before 30th September 2010.

So if you do want to fit less expensive, less energy efficient windows, you may want to get a move on, as lead times could soar as demand to get products that are due to become obsolete soon may go through the roof, as clearly the most energy saving, energy efficient windows do cost more, as they have a higher double glazing and thermal specification which enables them to comply with the energy rating criteria set by the British Fenestration Rating Council (BFRC).

Fortunately, the company I work for, Hazlemere Windows, has already registered British Fenestration Rating Council "A" energy rated aluminum and "A" energy rated UPVC windows, and also offer band "B" rated and has been supplying and fitting "C" energy rated aluminium and UPVC windows for some time.

Depending on how long you stay in your property, you can get a decent return on your nvestment in terms of saving on your energy bills by installing replacement double glazed windows.

My personal view is that "C" rated windows offer you the best return on your investment as performance wise they are not far off "A" rated windows, but cost a lot less to install. If you want to you can find out more about Building Regulations by visiting the Governments planning portal or research the helpful overview of the current Building Regulations on Pilkington's website.