Energy Savings Day (e-day) kicks off on Wednesday 27th February with encouragement to switch off lights, televisions and other unattended or unneeded electrical items.

But energy saving is not just about switching appliances off - its about planning to reduce your reliance on them and choosing items which are more energy efficient.

According to the Energy Savings Trust, 20% of the heat energy lost from an average home occurs through the windows Right now, at the end of February we're experiencing frosty cold nights and warm winter sunshine. This combination offers perfect conditions for our windows to save or loose the most energy.

Although the air is cold, the strength of the winter sun (being low in the sky) penetrates deep into the rooms and is especially noticeable on south facing elevations. Energy rated windows, being better at capturing this free energy source, can draw in additional energy from the sun and regain any heat lost making them energy neutral and carbon neutral.

This balance of energy consumption/gain means that they regain any heat lost and as far as sash windows are concerned the A rated bygone sash window will cost nothing in use……..saving 100% of the heat lost through single glazed windows

In addition - as they are designed to allow the free energy source, solar gain to be captured during the warmth of the day, they then retain it for longer so the heating can be set at a lower level, and still provide comfortable temperatures long into the evening.

And don’t forget as the summer arrives, sash windows will by their very nature circulate more cooler fresh air than any other style, replacing stuffy, humid air twice as quickly, and without an electric motor in sight!