A hot prospect
Looking for a high-performance, high-quality composite that can save homeowners money on their energy bills? We talk to Apeer’s MD, Asa McGillian, who explains the advantages of the Apeer70 and Apeer44 ranges.
With snow blanketing much of the UK in March, prompting millions of homeowners to reluctantly turn up the thermostat, the cost of energy remains right at the top of the news agenda.
And while the chancellor has signalled that he will extend the £2,500 energy price cap for a few more months to ease the pressure on bills, the government currently has no plans to renew this commitment beyond March next year.
That will put a huge amount of pressure on households if energy bills remain high but it also presents a significant long-term opportunity for the industry to highlight the benefits of products that have been engineered to dramatically improve the energy efficiency of homes – including entrance doors.
“We have invested a lot of time and effort into the performance of our doors,” says Apeer’s Managing Director, Asa McGillian. “We set the bar very high, we wanted to design a door that could offer A++ for energy efficiency, and that’s exactly what we achieved.
“On our 70mm Apeer70 range we’ve achieved that with a high strength, reinforced polyurethane core, a double rebated twin-seal, 48mm triple glazing and a 98mm door and frame set. With U values as low as 0.8 W/m2k, an Apeer A++ door is considerably more efficient than a timber cored alternative.
“Energy efficiency is a massive selling point at the moment, with homeowners looking for ways to keep living costs under control, so our customers are extremely well placed to take advantage of that,” Asa continues.
And, as Asa is keen to point out, Apeer70’s market leading levels of performance are also combined with an unrivalled number of options for style and security.
These are presented in a high-quality new brochure that highlights six new door styles, including new options for Silka, Apeer’s unique, smooth skinned finish that was originally designed as a more cost-effective alternative to aluminium.
“Silka is an incredibly popular finish and we’ve bolstered the range with a new door style, a new glazing trim and homeowners can now choose from an unlimited range of colours,” continues Asa.
“We’ve also introduced a selection of updated RegaLead glass designs, including side panels with matching RegaLead glass, a new range of contemporary black hardware and we’ve extended our Accessible range – which is available up to 1,087mm wide for wheelchair access – to include four additional door styles and two new styles.
“We’re also excited to announce that Yale’s SensCheck smart sensors are now available on Apeer70,” he adds. “With SensCheck, which is BSI Internet of Things accredited and offers a host of smart security features, we’re giving our customers another key selling point and an additional opportunity to win business.
“Apeer70 is a premium offering, one that’s designed to appeal to consumers at the higher end of the market, and that’s important because this sector is typically much more resilient in an economic downturn.
“With Apeer70, our customers are very well equipped to target more affluent homeowners, but crucially, with Apeer44, we also give them the tools to sell to those who are on a tighter budget as well.”
Recently re-launched with 13 brand new door designs, updated glass and ‘on-trend’ hardware – plus options for a Silka inspired smooth-skinned finish – Apeer’s A-rated, 44mm, single-rebated range reflects all the quality and style of Apeer70 but at a more attractive price point.
“The vast majority of composite sales are for single rebate, 44mm doors and from the feedback we’ve had from our retail network, we’ve been able to make our ‘volume’ range the very best it could be,” concludes Asa.
“That’s meant introducing new styles and options – and creating new marketing materials to promote all of that – but the end result is that our customers can offer an entrance door, to suit all budgets and tastes, that will look stunning, perform faultlessly and improve energy bills in the process.
“It’s an enviable position to be in.”
