Is Getting Energy-Efficient Windows Really That Important?

You have probably heard all the hype from the government and the window companies that you need to get energy-efficient windows installed in your home.  And you may be asking yourself if it is really necessary to have them, or is it just something put out by the window companies to make more money?

If you are one that needs to see to believe, here are three experiments to try at home to see if you really need energy-efficient windows or not.

Experiment One: Energy Assessment

Most power companies offer an energy assessment to show you what on your home needs to be fixed and is currently causing your power bill to be high. They point out things like where you could use additional insulation, new weather stripping on your doors, and if you could benefit from energy-efficient windows

Have an assessment done on your house and see if a recommendation for energy-efficient windows comes up.

Experiment Two: Stand Next To Your Windows

On a hot day, go and stand next to your windows. Do you feel a lot of heat coming in from the sun or just a little?

If you feel a lot of heat this means that your air conditioner is working harder than it should have to because your windows are allowing a lot of the sun’s heat to get in the house.  Energy-efficient windows block a good portion of these rays from getting in your home so that the inside doesn’t heat up as bad as with windows that are not energy efficient.

Experiment Three: The Visual Test

Take a good look at the furniture, carpet, and window treatments around your windows.  Do the parts that are in the sun seem a little more faded than the parts that aren’t?

If you do find more fading with the parts that are in the sun compared to the parts that are not, then your belongings are being damaged by sun bleaching.  Sun bleaching is when the sun’s rays discolor any material they come in contact with, beyond the normal fading that is common in these items.

Sun bleached furniture, carpets, and window treatments are a sign that you need energy-efficient windows because of how they are designed to block most of the sun’s rays from getting in.  If most of the sun’s rays are blocked, then they won’t be powerful enough to be able to sun bleach anything.