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NEWS +VOX: UK glazing sector urges clarity on windows in Government’s Warm Homes Plan
The Glass & Glazing Federation (GGF) has welcomed the UK Government’s newly published Warm Homes Plan but is seeking urgent clarification from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) on how building fabric upgrades, including windows and doors, will be supported under the scheme.
Billed by ministers as “the largest home upgrade programme in British history,” the Warm Homes Plan commits significant public investment toward insulation, low-carbon heating and renewable technologies. The programme includes zero- or low-interest loan-style support for measures such as heat pumps, solar panels and battery storage, aimed at cutting household energy bills while reducing carbon emissions.
While the GGF supports the ambition to improve energy efficiency across the UK’s housing stock, it has raised concerns that the policy document provides limited detail on where fabric-first measures sit within the overall framework. References to windows and doors are currently confined to local authority-led and social housing funding routes, leaving unanswered questions about support for owner-occupied and private homes.
According to the Federation, it remains unclear whether the Warm Homes Plan will fund meaningful retrofit work, including the replacement of ageing and inefficient double glazing with modern high-performance double or triple glazed units. Such upgrades, the GGF argues, are a foundational step in reducing heat loss and ensuring that low-carbon heating systems operate as intended.
Within the past 24 hours, the GGF has contacted Jessica Skillback, Director at DESNZ, seeking clarification on how fabric improvements will be treated as further guidance is developed. The Federation is asking whether future policy detail will allow homeowners and social housing providers to include glazing upgrades as part of a whole-house retrofit approach. Chris Beedel, Head of Government Advocacy & Stakeholder Relations at the GGF, said the organisation supports the Government’s focus on electrification and renewables but cautioned against overlooking the role of the building envelope. “Energy efficiency must start with the fabric of the building,” he said, adding that windows and doors are central to reducing heat loss and supporting the effective use of heat pumps.
The GGF said it is cautiously optimistic that opportunities will emerge for the glass and glazing sector, particularly through social housing and local authority retrofit programmes. However, it stressed that further policy detail is required to understand the scale and scope of those opportunities. The Federation said it remains committed to engaging constructively with DESNZ as further updates to the Warm Homes Plan are released.
Why This Matters: The Glass and Glazing Federation has remained bullish about the Warm Homes Plan despite widespread disappointment within the UK’s fenestration sector. In Britain, the GGF is recognised as the leading industry body representing the sector in its dealings with government policymakers. It has long prided itself on maintaining high‑level discussions with government departments. Yet questions are being raised about the effectiveness of those discussions in light of the latest government plans to improve the energy efficiency of the UK’s housing stock through upgrades to windows and doors. The solar panel and heat pump industries are currently stealing a march, supported by efforts to generate energy differently. Many industry commentators have expressed frustration at the government’s current stance. They argue that tackling heat loss through fabric improvements would prove more effective, reducing both energy use and waste. The key question now is how the sector can exert greater influence over policymaking.
