“Jumping on the green bandwagon can add up to 5% to the value of your property, make it more competitive on the housing market & help you save on energy bills”

In an article entitled “Being eco-friendly can make you richer” on cityam.com, Donata Huggins believes that “Jumping on the green bandwagon can add up to 5 per cent to the value of your property, make it more competitive on the housing market and help you save on energy bills.”

If going green would save you money on energy bills and add value to your home, I am sure more of us would do it if we could afford the capital investment required to achieve the energy savings, plus ideally we would all like to reduce our carbon footprint and go green to help the planet and our children’s children. However, I am sure that like me you would like to see the evidence that demands a verdict, as it is prudent to do sufficient research before being convinced that spending one’s hard owned taxed sterling, will result in a decent return.

The article quotes property expert Ed Mead as stating that “double glazing is practically standard these days. Properties without it suffer on the housing market. There are no excuses for those with sash windows either: new models offer better-insulated edges and double glass panels.” But Mead offers a word of caution: â€ŔSecondary glazing is a very different thing to double glazing. Double glazing is a minimum standard these days. Secondary glazing — those additional windows installed on the inside of the original window — will actually knock value off your property. Prospective buyers instantly think: â€ŔWhat’s the problem, is it noisy outside?””

Good insulation, does not stop with windows and doors, as loft insulation and cavity wall insulation both also make big differences to a property’s energy rating, often determining what level of Energy Performance Certificate a surveyor will issue a prospective seller. It is logical that if you were a buyer choosing between two properties (which are a toss up as to which you should choose), but one has a higher EPC that the other, it is likely you would not choose the one with the lower EPC.

So it is true to say that “Going green could save you money on energy bills and add value to your home.” And whilst I agree with Ed Mead that secondary glazing is very much secondary, if it is all you can have fitted because your property is a listed building, or in a conservation area, or area of outstanding natural beauty, it is far better to have secondary glazing and have a warm cosy environment, than have an inefficient expensive to heat home. Yes, double, and even triple glazing aestheically looks far nicer than secondary glazing, but you can still see through secondary glazing, and if it is all you can have………..far better to have it, than live through cold winters without it, especially if you do happen to live in an area with high noise pollution, like near Heathrow Airport or next to a busy main road, plus prefer more peace and quiet all year round!