“Energy Efficient Windows (EEWs) have a huge role to play in improving the thermal performance of the existing housing stock,” Nigel Rees, Chief Executive of the GGF, explained, “EEWs can reduce emissions by 10% from dwellings nationally and reduce national domestic energy expenditure by 10%.
“The glass and window industry represents over 100,000 employees. Direct sell windows and doors fell by 12% in 2008 and a further 14% in 2009. The forecast is for a further 10% drop in 2010. In 2008 FENSA registered 880,831 installations made up of 3,292,437 windows and 761,054 doors. The GGF strongly believes that the proposals to incentivise the professional installation of new energy efficient windows are the only logical way forward.”
Five hundred signatures are needed to take the petition to the next stage. Given the size of the industry, and the popularity of WERs, the GGF expects the petition to receive many more signatures than that.