Anglian Home Improvements has reported an ‘unprecedented’ surge in customer enquiries since the start of January – seeing an uplift of 15% compared to the same period as last year.
According to Anglian, this level of interest reflects a significant shift in homeowners’ priorities, partly driven by recent extreme weather conditions and a growing urgency to improve energy efficiency within the home.
Anglian has reported January enquiry volumes are already at record highs in the aftermath of Storm Goretti and plummeting temperatures that swept across the country, adding that the wintery conditions have exposed homeowners to existing windows and doors are no longer sufficient in keeping out the cold.
Beyond the immediate impact of the weather, economic and environmental factors are also said to be playing a crucial role in decision-making. As energy bills remain a concern, homeowners are looking to invest in energy efficient windows and doors to help mitigate rising costs.
By taking steps to replace older double glazing with modern standards, it’s estimated that homeowners could reduce heat loss by 50% and save between £395 and £467 on energy bills, according to data from the Glass and Glazing Federation.
Rachael Munby, chief marketing officer at Anglian Home Improvements, said: “January has historically been a peak month for customers planning home upgrades as it symbolises at time of fresh starts for the year ahead. However, the current surge in volume of enquiries we are experiencing suggests a perfect storm of motivational reasons rather than simply seasonal trends, including rising energy bills and recent weather events.
“This surge reflects homeowners racing to future proof their homes against rising costs and climate challenges. As the nation’s favourite, Anglian has protected British homes for the last 60 years and as a result is perfectly positioned and ready to help homeowners looking to make improvements now.”
As the UK works towards the government’s Net Zero 2050 targets, the Glass and Glazing Federation also reports that 80 million windows in the UK are underperforming and need replacing to meet current energy efficiency standards.
It suggests that 98% of existing windows fail to meet today’s building regulations, and even many installed post-2002 with an energy efficiency C-rating fall short of the current B-rated requirements that came into effect in 2022 across England and Wales.
