It's the time of the year when you're going to be turning on the heat soon, if you haven't already! And, like most of us, you're probably a little concerned about what this heating season will bring in terms of costs. Oil prices don't seem to be plummeting at the moment!

Windows are a good place to look if you're worried about losing that heat you're paying so much for! Newer windows can be a lot more energy efficient than the ones from 10, 20 or 30 years ago. Technology has greatly improved the efficiency of what's available in windows.

When you talk about the efficiency of a window you're talking about several different items. R-factor is what measures the window's ability to prevent heat loss. R-factors generally fall into a range between .90 and 3.00. The higher the number the greater the window's resistance to heat loss.

U-Values are the reciprocal of R-values, meaning that the lower the number the better. U-values range from 1.1 to .3.

If you'd like in-depth information on window styles, types and how to choose one with energy efficiency in mind, check out this web site:

https://maxvps027.maximumasp.com/V027U37YVE/userdef/PDFs/eewindows.pdf

All window should now be labeled with the numbers to allow you to make an informed decision. But the labels can be confusing if you don't know what all those things mean. For more information on how to read those labels, check out this web site:

http://www.nfrc.org/label.aspx

Finally, if you'd like to take a look at a map showing what the recommended range for the numbers on those labels are for our area, take a look at the Energy Star web site:

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=windows_doors.pr_crit_windows

All of this should give you everything you need to replace those old, inefficient windows!