Double-glazing has economic and aesthetic advantages

The economic downturn and subsequent recession led to property prices falling significantly across the country after years of steady value increases, leaving many homeowners under threat of negative equity.

However, thanks to remedial measures such as the Bank of England's quantitative easing exercise involving pumping billions of pounds into the economy, the decline was reversed and is ongoing, albeit slowly.

While several house price indexes including the Land Registry's and Nationwide Building Society's have indicated steady rises in prices, homeowners can implement their own measures to accelerate the growth curve of their homes.

One way to go about increasing the value of a home is by boosting its energy-efficiency, which can be done through the replacement of old windows that may no longer be effective in preventing heat loss.

Poor-quality windows are one of the biggest routes through which valuable heat escapes from houses. Energy loss can be a costly affair as more electricity will have to be used to ensure temperatures are high enough to keep occupants warm.

And with UK winters getting colder, the need for such an investment has never been greater and those who embark on such a move stand to see the benefits immediately.

Double-glazing is particularly effective at ensuring energy efficiency as it works by trapping air between two panes of glass thereby creating an insulating barrier that reduces heat loss, according to the Energy Saving Trust.

As well as minimising energy loss, double-glazed windows and doors can also reduce noise and condensation; ensuring homeowners enjoy the comfort of their properties without outside distractions.

No only can heat lost through windows be cut by as much as 50 per cent through Energy Saving Recommended double-glazing, but electricity bills can be reduced by around £135 annually, the organisation says.

With saving the planet becoming an increasingly vital issue, homeowners can also do their bit for the environment by cutting around 720kg of carbon dioxide emissions every year through double-glazing alone.

According to the Energy Saving Trust, if every single person in the UK who requires double-glazing installed it, the country would save around £700 million, which is the equivalent of around 740,000 households' CO2 emissions.

Homeowners are advised to always keep an eye out for the Energy Saving Recommended logo when choosing their new windows as this ensures they are getting the correct product to do the job.

The logo is a guarantee for quality as it means that the whole window, including the frame and glass, have been assessed on a rating of A-G by the British Fenestration Ratings Council.

As well as improving energy-efficiency, double-glazing installation can also be useful when it comes to selling a property because it can make it more aesthetically pleasing to buyers.