Instead of just accepting high energy bills, you should do something to try and counteract them and the installation of UPVC windows or orangeries is a solution well worth investing in. Double glazing will cut the cost of energy bills in an instant as little or no heat will be able to escape from your dwelling, meaning you can be less reliant on your boiler as your home will be consistently warm.

New windows will also make your property more energy efficient as the less energy you waste, the more your existing carbon footprint will be reduced. This is better for the environment as a whole as too many homes are currently poorly insulated and double glazing in Bristol will help reverse that trend.

Safety and security in the home is one of the key concerns of any good homeowner. By replacing all or some of the windows in your property you will be helping reduce the chances of anyone gaining unauthorised access to it. Double glazing comes fitted with two thick strong panes of glass and a frame which is highly durable, enough to put off even the most determined of intruders.

The maintenance of a modern window couldn’t be simpler. Rather than having to repaint the window on a regular basis, all you need to do is give it a good wipe down now and again to get it gleaming.

The consumer organisation used undercover researchers to test the £1.2bn-a-year double glazing industry, inviting four major companies – Anglian Windows, Everest, Weatherseal Home Improvements/Zenith Staybrite and Safestyle (UK) – to provide quotes for double glazing at four addresses around the UK in March.

A senior trading standards officer and sales expert then listened to recordings of the visits and analysed the tactics used. These included claiming to be a part of a non-existent government scrappage system.

Which? also found:

• Six out of 18 salespeople made misleading claims, such as: “We’ve been tested by the government and were chosen for its scrappage scheme” (an Anglian salesperson) and: “By law, through trading •standards, you can only give up to a 10-year guarantee” (a Safestyle UK salesperson);
•Seven out of the 18 salespeople offered a discount if the undercover researcher signed up immediately;
•Fifteen out of 18 offered significant savings, often half the “original” price – the biggest drop was £16,926 from an Everest salesperson;
•Many of the salespeople offered a lower price with a “credit deal” but working out how much you’d pay was incredibly difficult.
•One Zenith salesperson asked the researcher to sign their name twice to confirm he’d told her the relevant information – a psychological technique to warm up customers.

Peter Vicary-Smith, chief executive of Which?, said: “As a homeowner, replacing your windows is one of the most expensive jobs you’re likely to face, which is why we’re so disappointed to discover salespeople from the biggest names in the business making outlandish claims and using hard-sell tactics.”

The Double Glazing & Conservatory Ombudsman Scheme aims to offer protection for double glazing and conservatory consumers and double glazing and conservatory installers in a £4.65bn double glazing and conservatory industry. The double glazing and conservatory industry was responsible for 22,000 complaints to trading standards last year.

The DGCOS has already signed up 126 double glazing installers. It is claimed that the new scheme is different from existing consumer protection schemes because installers who sign up for it are legally bound by its decisions.

The DGCOS Compensation Fund will pay out all bona fide claims to compensate homeowners using DGCOS Accredited Installers where traders fail to live up to their promises and the ombudsman has found in their favour. Traders will also have some protection against customers who withhold payment or make unfounded complaints. The double glazing installers also have to pay into a bond scheme to cover compensation if they cease trading.

Nick Ross said: “Consumer agencies champion ombudsman schemes because they give customers real protection. DGCOS is based on similar schemes which have been successful in other industries and are strongly recommended by consumer groups.

“Rogue traders have done serious harm to the reputation of the industry, so restoring confidence is important not just for consumers but for all good contractors. DGCOS can help rebuild trust and mark out the good guys from the cowboys.”

While I wholeheartedly agree with free speech and debate, sometimes forums of this nature can cross the line into a more defamatory nature as the piece that was removed did and it can become damaging and unfair. I reserve the right to fight our corner and protect the integrity of DGCOS if I think this is happening.

Firstly, we have never said to any journalists that this industry is full of rogues or incompetents. It isn’t, and we’ve said several times that a few rogues and cowboys damage the reputations of the many. We have only ever said factual information and given a potential solution to the 22,000+ complaints received about this industry last year. We do not have editorial control over anything that is not published by DGCOS – as is witnessed by this blog.

Also, we do not seek to represent the industry. DGCOS is an Ombudsman scheme with judicial powers and extensive powers of investigation. It is a consumer protection organisation. Installers and the industry will benefit from its existence.

I welcome Nigel’s attempt to put some organisations into perspective. As he says, “Fensa ….was never designed as a consumer protection organisation. The Glass and Glazing Federation is a Trade Federation, whose main driver is promote technical and ethical standards”

However, he is incorrect when he says DGCOS is ‘ultimately a lead generator’. DGCOS provides the consumer protection the industry needs to help its reputation. The fact that DGCOS is aware of the needs of the people who drive the industry, the installers, and the things they need to ‘buy into’ the scheme is testament to our research and ability to deliver a great scheme.

DGCOS does not pretend to cover the whole industry. We cannot. Many companies will just not make the grade. 23% of applications so far have failed. DGCOS covers only installation businesses who have taken the trouble to become accredited members – our website makes this clear.

DGCOS is different because it is a robust Ombudsman Scheme. Bona fide complaints will be investigated thoroughly. Wrongs will be addressed and put right. Investigations of complaints are mandatory whereas many trade bodies provide an optional ‘conciliation’ service which members may or may not abide by. DGCOS also provides a free independent inspection service on disputed installations. The Ombudsman’s decisions are legally binding and enforceable. Members contribute to a Compensation Fund to ensure awards are honoured. No other organisation offers all of this for the industry.

The Ombudsman, Dr Ronald Barham, is a Fellow of The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and has been operating as an Ombudsman since 1996. He has extensive knowledge of the construction industry and is a member of the arbitration panels of several professional and government bodies. He is independent of all member organisations, is not funded by members, and is not on the management team or board of directors of DGCOS so that any judgment he makes could not be considered biased.

In regards to the costs, wildly inaccurate figures have been mentioned on this blog. The cost of ongoing membership is affordable by all professional installers. The ongoing cost is in the region of 1.2% of their retail turnover. For the overall benefits on offer this is a bargain. The marketing materials are excellent and proving very successful for installers.

To dispel another rumour, DGCOS does not sell IBGs, and we make no money from them. We have investigated the provision of IBGs to consumers and found that there are many loopholes. This is unacceptable to DGCOS. Therefore, we have negotiated a policy for members with our approved supplier, IWA, to ensure everyone is covered. The Compensation Fund also enables any customer of a member who is not registered to have a fallback position.

The purpose of our marketing, PR and advertising is to communicate strongly to people so they take notice of the scheme as many consumers, consumer support groups and the media are already doing. This is only the beginning. However, Nick Ross does not put his name to ‘mere marketing gimmicks’. Nick has been personally involved in ensuring that what the scheme offers is sound, robust and will serve the industry well.

Our credit score may be low. This is because we are new and have not turned a surplus yet. We won’t do for 2-3 years dependent on the take up rate from installers. Our aim is to attract 1,800 of the best installers into accreditation over the next 3-4 years. That will be approx 14% of installers in the UK. As I said, not everyone will make it.

I’d like to thank the organisers of GlassTalk for their ‘on the couch’ invitation. However, DGCOS cannot adequately be explained in a few minutes and I am going to graciously decline this invitation.

However, I do intend to attend Glasstalk, along with 5 of our senior people.

We will soon be organising a series of seminars around the country and will be extending invitations to any interested party who would like to attend their nearest seminar and participate in the Q&A sessions at the end.

DGCOS isn’t for everyone, and I am not out to convert everyone. If people are happy as members of the GGF or other bodies that’s fine by me, but I do believe DGCOS is by far and away the best consumer protection scheme in the industry, because it was designed to be.

Read the latest discussions on DGCOS at www.glasstalk.co.uk or visit: www.dgcos.org.uk

Installers who become members of the DGCOS will be able to offer their customers a range of policies, including deposit protection, work in progress insurance and an insurance-backed guarantee. Homeowners, meanwhile, will be offered access to professional mediators, independent inspectors and a dispute resolution and arbitration service conducted by the Ombudsman. The DGCOS scheme will offer installers protection against unfair complaints from customers and companies who withhold payment for completed work.

The DGCOS scheme, which has been trialled for over two years, will be promoted by national TV and radio advertising campaigns fronted by Nick Ross, the former presenter of the BBC’s Crimewatch and Watchdog programmes.

In brief, DGCOS is offering consumers safeguards and protection including:
1 – Accredited Installers
2 – Deposit Protection
3 – 10 Year Guarantee
4 – Insurance Backed Guarantee
5 – Free Advice Line
6 – Ombudsman Protection

To protect homeowners further DGCOS provide access to professional mediators, independent inspectors and a Compensation Fund to honour awards made by the Double Glazing and Conservatory Ombudsman Scheme.

Glasstalk is the new Double Glazing & Conservatory Forum website creating debate on all issue within the industry. To find out what people are discussing – visit www.glasstalk.co.uk today!

<strong>So could uPVC windows and doors be the answer to saving the planet?</strong>
No doubt any upturn in sales would trigger questions about the disposal of old PVC windows and doors in an environmentally responsible way. Despite the fact that it is often said that PVC is not recyclable, this is simply not true so there is no need for alarm. There is a range of methods already available for deriving residual value from used plastics products. In fact, PVC, like all other thermoplastic materials, can be recycled relatively straightforwardly.

The <a title=”uPVC Window” href=”http://www.conservatoryoutlet.co.uk”>uPVC window</a> industry has been criticised in the past, for an apparent lack of post-use recycling. But it is now common practice to recover and recycle factory wastes and / or off-cuts after the window has been fabricated. These materials are then incorporated with virgin polymer to produce further long life products including window profiles.

A company that has been at the forefront of collection and recycling of redundant uPVC materials is <a href=”http://www.ecoplas.co.uk”>Ecoplas Limited</a>. Based in Selby, North Yorkshire, Ecoplas is a company that specialises in post consumer recycling. Ecoplas has invested in the necessary, plant equipment and new technology to handle and process substantial volumes of post consumer materials.

Managing Director of <a href=”http://www.ecoplas.co.uk”>Ecoplas</a>, Ian Tippett commented on the recent proposal. “Whilst I feel it is a good idea to incentivise homeowners to make energy efficient changes, it is equally as important to prevent post consumer windows and doors going to landfill. Our company specialises in this area and it is both environmentally beneficial and cost effective. At <a href=”http://www.ecoplas.co.uk/”>Ecoplas</a> we have the capability to process old window frames and convert them to reusable material which can be used as a raw material in the manufacture of new building products. We are keen to expand our operations in this area and to support companies wishing to show a real commitment to deal with their post consumer waste responsibly”.

<a href=”http://www.ecoplas.co.uk”>Ecoplas</a> have a fleet of vehicles to collect post consumer waste which includes 50cu yd roll on roll off skips. Through arrangements with waste transfer stations and waste management companies Ecoplas receive bulk loads of end of life <a title=”PVC Windows” href=”http://www.conservatoryoutlet.co.uk/upvc_windows.php”>PVC windows</a> and <a title=”Doors” href=”http://www.conservatoryoutlet.co.uk/upvc_doors.php”>doors</a>. Ecoplas can therefore also assist companies who may be tendering and negotiating for public or private sector contracts where environmental considerations and policies are key elements of the contract.

Ecoplas is one of the leading uPVC recycling operations in the UK – to find out more visit <a href=”http://www.ecoplas.co.uk”>www.ecoplas.co.uk</a>

I went over to Clifton in Bristol for a Double Glazing appointment on approaching the building there was one thing very evident to me and that was looking at the character of the building and the majority of properties around it that my PVC window just wouldn’t look right in the property.

I went through the process of listening to the potential customer I measured up the windows that we had discussed and gave the lady the price. I had been advising the lady through the process that I felt the windows really would of been better in Timber and I explained the reasonings why? Bearing in mind I don’t sell timber windows, at the end of the appointment she thanked me for my honesty and I left with no order.

A few months later I was back in the area and decided to look at the property to see if she had done her windows and how the windows (which I expected to be timber) looked. When I got to the property the lady had installed PVC windows and they looked awful, I was intrigued by this and thought I would see if anyone was home, so I knocked the door sure enough the lady answered, strangely she actually remembered me and I said you did your windows then, and she looked a little stressed (which wasn’t my intention) I had a good chat to her and she wished she had never installed them, all of her lovely sash timber surrounds had gone the window styles didn’t work and the PVC window had just mashed the look of the house. If the lady had gone for PVCu Box Sash windows then the character would of been kept but it was a budgetary purchase so the styles were awful.

My point is should I of kept my mouth shut and thought it’s the customers money and signed up £8,000 worth of windows or should I of told the truth???? Someone ended up doing the job and perhaps it’s not my job to say whether or not things would suit the style of peoples property what do you think?

Our addition of a showsite in Raglan has proved a wise move with promising results in our first year there, we’ve got a redevelopment planned for the site next year, with a lovely orangery going to be our main showpiece.

I’m particularly interested in hearing any comments on good quality garden centers that either have already got conservatory companies on site or a center that would be interested in me putting a few conservatories.

It’s got to be a well known and well presented Garden Center or I may even look at other types of retail outlets if they have a high number of people walking through there gates.

The First Smile in December

The reason for the photo is, my daughter took it, and said it’s nice to see you smiling Daddy she’s only four and said I had been grumpy. It’s a tough time for all double glazing guys out there at the moment, but Greenway are way ahead of last year an fingers crossed we are looking really strong for the next year.
In fact I think I’ll do a post on the past year a blow by blow of the ups and downs of the last year.
Any way enough waffle for me I was just so delighted to have January full I thought I’d write about it. So if you are looking for any Windows, doors or a conservatory give me a call I can’t do anything in January but I’ll make it worth your while to wait until February..

After a flyer came through from Jon Twigge at Roofwright – (Yes Jon I do read them)  I ordered a book called Outrageous Advertising, Now I’ve had a look at some of the ideas in there and thought some of them are good, but I’m always worried about the visual impact of the brand (if I have one). Sometimes I wonder if I’m to worried about how the brand will look and as a result miss out on a thoroughly good way of getting my name around.

Greenway has always had a good name locally but now as I’m trying to build the brand in Gloucester and Bristol I need a a fast way of getting my name out there and on the shopping list of people looking for Windows and Conservatories in Bristol and Gloucester. What I’m thinkning about is throwing out there to you guys to come up with a totally outrageous way of getting my name known across the Bridge.

Short of nudity there’s not alot I wouldn’t do to get known very quickly as long as it’s legal I want to have a bit of fun with Greenway whilst not damaging the brand locally. I want to throw away the normal and go for impact.

So get your thinking caps on and help me out the best campaign will get used I may have to ask RCG to do a final Poll for me as I don’t have the facility on here and also he’ll have far more readers to get a good idea of what will really work.