It has been an argued question for many years, but there seems to be no clear answer to the question of whether installing new home windows in an older house will in fact save you money on your energy bill. Just like any opinionated question asked, there are always two-sides to a reply. And determining what end of the process you are in – there tends to be an answer to support your argument.

So, instead of trying to determine whether or not window replacement in an older home will actually be saving money on energy costs, let’s look at some of the traditional myths of replacing windows, supported with facts which will allow you to make a much more informed decision.

Myth #1: Installing replacement windows will save you money in energy bills

According to documentation provided by several consumer groups, if an average homeowner installs new windows in their older home, they can save up to $50.00 per month. But, you have to read the fine print with these statements. This requires replacing (on the average) 24-30 windows in your house.

You also should look at the cost of replacing these windows compared to the saving they can provide. The initial investment for replacing this many home windows can exceed $20,000. So, in order to pay for this investment, by doing simple math, you’d need to save $50.00 on your energy bill each month for 400 months. Simplified even more, you’d be paying for this longer than the average 30 year mortgage.

So the question as to whether or not installing replacement windows will save you money is based on how you spin the term ‘save’.

Myth #2: Replacement windows will last a lifetime

Again, this needs to be looked and answered with factual information. According to several new-age window manufactures, the materials these new windows are manufactured out of include fiberglass, vinyl and aluminum. These materials, when assembled with the process they use today, will last approximately 20 years. In fact, many of today’s ‘energy saving’ windows will begin to show signs of failure within a 10-year period.

If this myth is referring to the lifetime of the average family dog, then yes; it can be argued that they will last a lifetime. However, basing this on scientific fact, this myth is debatable.

Myth #3: You don’t need to maintain new replacement windows

This myth is true, but you’re most likely not going to like the reason why. Older windows were assembled by using multiple parts and pieces which individually, if they failed, could be replaced. However, today’s energy-saving windows are manufactured as a complete unit, and for the most part, individual parts and pieces can’t be serviced or maintained.

This means that if any part of your window fails, it needs to be replaced. Several manufactures offer extended warranties on these windows, so please consider this as a method to provide value to replacement windows for your home.

The bottom line is that there are some benefits of replacing the windows in your home, which can overtime save you money. However, there are other ways to ensure your energy bill can be reduced each month, such as ensuring your heating and cooling equipment function properly. So before you spend tens of thousands of dollars on a home window replacement, make sure to consider all options first. You might end up saving lots of money in the short and long term.

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