Home

Home improvements: How to save energy

Adopt a few simple steps to save energy simply.

Selina Denman
Selina Denman

October 26, 2012

A simple act such as covering your windows in window film can have far reaching benefits on the energy efficiency of your home.

Window film is a clear layer of high performance polyester that is fixed to the inside of glass windows and doors. This protective film upgrades the performance of the glass in terms of solar control, heat rejection, glare reduction, UV blockage and light transmission.

Due to its heat-rejecting properties, window film increases the energy efficiency of your air conditioning unit. With more than 60 per cent of an average home energy bill spent on cooling, the installation of window film is the most effective way to save money on monthly bills, with customers often seeing savings of up to 30 per cent.

Overall, the benefits of window film in a climate such as ours makes home window tinting a wise investment with instant results in terms of comfort and savings.

You can expect to pay around Dh150 for a standard sliding door and there is a wide range of shades so your property won't lose natural light.

* Gavin Bannerman, founder, Laminas Window Films, www.laminas.ae

Day 1, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance

Moment of the day Dimuth Karunaratne had batted with plenty of pluck, and no little skill, in getting to within seven runs of a first-day century. Then, while he ran what he thought was a comfortable single to mid-on, his batting partner Dinesh Chandimal opted to stay at home. The opener was run out by the length of the pitch.

Stat of the day – 1 One six was hit on Day 1. The boundary was only breached 18 times in total over the course of the 90 overs. When it did arrive, the lone six was a thing of beauty, as Niroshan Dickwella effortlessly clipped Mohammed Amir over the square-leg boundary.

The verdict Three wickets down at lunch, on a featherbed wicket having won the toss, and Sri Lanka’s fragile confidence must have been waning. Then Karunaratne and Chandimal's alliance of precisely 100 gave them a foothold in the match. Dickwella’s free-spirited strokeplay meant the Sri Lankans were handily placed at 227-4 at the close.