19 Million Homes could need new external doors...

A new report estimates that there are 31 million doors over 10 years old installed in UK dwellings. Replacing 19 million of these doors with energy efficient doors would produce annual energy and money savings for homeowners.
 
Payback periods range from between 5 and 19 years, depending on the type of door being replaced, but average around 10 years, well within the Green Deal Golden Rule i.e. that total costs must not exceed the estimated savings over the lifetime of the measure. Energy efficient doors are recognised by the Government being the third most cost effective product in its list of the 47 measures eligible for the Green Deal.

 David Amos of D&G Consulting, which produced the report, commented: “Based on extensive research and calculations there is potential to replace 19 million doors made from PVC panels, timber or aluminium with energy efficient doors (in practice, this means composite doors) to save homeowners energy and money. However, this is a conservative estimate – the very minimum. If energy prices rise, as they surely will, the potential savings increase further.”

The report also covers the market for new build and social housing which also need good, energy efficient composite doors. From 2018 it will become an offence to let properties with energy ratings below E. Currently more than 15% of the total English housing stock is privately rented and much of it needs radical improvement, particularly in energy efficiency.

“Although it is due to be launched in January 2013 (delayed from October 2012), the Green Deal is still very much a work in progress,” added D&G Consulting’s David Amos. “But the fact remains that in most cases replacing an old entrance door with an energy efficient door will save homeowners money, whether they use the scheme to fund it or not.”

The report, Big Savings on Britain’s Doorsteps: Composite Doors and the Green Deal, was commissioned by composite door manufacturer Door-Stop