Is the cost of living a threat or an opportunity?
Director at Everglade Windows, Jay Patel, discusses how the energy saving benefits of windows and doors can help our industry navigate its way through the cost-of-living crisis.
Wherever you look at the moment, we’re hearing about the cost-of-living crisis. Rising interest rates coupled with high energy bills and record levels of inflation are all having an impact on our everyday lives.
Because of this there seems to be a lot of caution, as homeowners reduce their spending in order to cut costs and ease the increased pressure of the cost of living.
This sense of trepidation has also crept into our industry, with many people remaining cautious about how this will affect the home improvement sector. Logically, it does make sense: homeowners having less disposable income will have an effect on how much they are spending on their property, but it is not quite that simple.
The current economic climate doesn’t have to be a threat to our industry. In fact, it can be a big opportunity for everyone in our sector.
We know how much of a difference energy efficient windows and doors can make towards improving the performance of homes, and we’re already seeing homeowners understanding this too.
A recent survey from YouGov, commissioned by Deceuninck, showed that despite the cost-of-living crisis, homeowners are continuing to invest in their home, with 44% of people more likely to spend on energy saving home improvements due to high energy prices.
The same research also showed that energy efficient windows and doors were top of the list of energy efficient improvements that people wanted to make to their homes, ahead of solar panels and cavity wall insulation. While solar panels dominate headlines and are rising in demand at a fast rate, the fact that windows and doors exceed these shows how valuable our products are in this time.
The same trend is also echoed in the Rated People Home Improvement Trends report, which reports that 90% of those making improvements to their home are doing so to make it more eco-friendly and energy efficient.
What these stats show, is the appetite for energy efficient products and proves that we are in a perfect position to thrive during this period, as we can show tangible cost saving benefits to consumers through our products, which consequently provides a real advantage for installers.
Benefitting installers and homeowners.
As an installer, having the best performing products on the market is a great way of making the most of the drive for energy efficiency.
This means you can benefit from consumer demand and also put you in a strong position to win business over your competitors.
Being able to offer your customers products which can reduce energy consumption allows you to differentiate yourself, so you can stay ahead of the curve in what is currently a competitive market.
When energy efficiency is such a key factor in the purchasing decisions of consumers, it is crucial to choose a supplier who is providing you with the best chance to succeed, with the best performing products, which is exactly what you get with the aïr range.
New updates to the aïr range
The drive for energy efficiency was one of the key reasons that we have made several new additions to our product portfolio. We have recently launched four new products to the aïr range, all of which offer impressive energy performance and meet the latest and upcoming changes to Building Regulations.
Our newest lift and slide door option, the aïr 180XLS, achieves U-values as low as 0.8 w/m2K, with our new aïr 900 bi-fold door achieving U-values as low as 1.0 w/m2K. All of these products were designed off the back of extensive work from our expert research and development team, designed to not only provide installers with the best products to make the most of the current market, but to also prepare for the future.
These new additions to the range, coupled with the award-winning aïr MOD Series, which also offers impressively low U-values, means that Everglade Windows’ customers have direct access to a product range which will give them the best opportunity to flourish and continue to win business through the cost-of-living crisis.
