I know we've touched on energy savings, but I'm curious about the financial side.Has anyone calculated roughly how long it might take to recoup the cost of the windows in energy savings (and maybe insurance savings)? I realize comfort and protection are big factors, but just wondering if the numbers make sense purely from an investment standpoint.
@history_gandalf Good question. From a strictly dollars perspective, window replacements aren't usually a quick payback purely through energy savings. I'll share my rough math:In my case, I spent about $12,000 on the window upgrade. My electric bills went down by maybe $25-30 per month on average (that's around $300-360 per year). At that rate, just in energy savings, it'd take on the order of 30+ years to break even.
Now, factor in other savings: my insurance dropped about $150 a year because of the impact windows, which helps. And if I ever sell the house, I suspect I'll get a higher price because buyers value new efficient windows (hard to put a number on that though).
But the way I see it, the financial 'return' also includes all the comfort and peace of mind we've been talking about. Those are harder to quantify, but very real.
So purely on energy, payback can be decades. With insurance savings, maybe it shaves it down to 20-25 years in my case. But honestly, I did it more for the immediate benefits than for a strict ROI calculation.
@history_gandalf I’m with @jcoder32 on that. We didn’t justify it on ROI alone. I think of it like this: if my windows last 30+ years, eventually they might 'pay for themselves' in lower bills, but the real win is having a more comfortable home every one of those years.I also figure energy prices could go up, which might make the savings bigger down the line (hard to predict, of course). And if you ever sell, having new windows is a selling point – maybe not dollar-for-dollar return, but it makes your home more attractive.
In any case, we viewed it as an upgrade to enjoy now, with some cost recovery gradually over time. It's like getting a new AC – you do it for the immediate relief and efficiency, not just the payback.
@history_gandalf Same here – we didn't really expect the windows to 'pay for themselves' quickly. The savings are real but relatively small each month. We mostly just love how the house feels now. It's one of those home improvements you do for quality of life. If it eventually breaks even in dollars, hey, that's icing on the cake. But we’re enjoying the cooler, quieter home right away.
@jcoder32 @geocacher77 @coffee_pumpkin Thanks for breaking that down. That makes a lot of sense. It's true – the comfort and other perks are probably worth it even if the pure payback is slow. I appreciate the perspective! 👍
Update time! I ended up getting three quotes as planned. After comparing, I've decided to go with ProTech Windoors for my project. Their price was competitive and I felt good about their expertise (shout-out to those of you who mentioned them!).My install is scheduled for next month. I'm really excited (and a bit nervous) to finally get this done. I'll let you all know how the installation goes and what differences I notice afterwards.
Thanks again everyone for all the guidance – this thread has been invaluable in helping me make the decision.
@mbrown43 Congrats on making a decision! I'm sure you'll have a great experience. ProTech was awesome for me. Keep us posted when the install happens – can't wait to hear how it turns out! 🎉
@mbrown43 Yes, congrats! You're going to love the results. Nothing like new windows to make your home feel brand new. 😉
@waffles_campbell @carol_campbell Thank you! I'll definitely update everyone after the install. Feeling much more confident going into this now with all your insights. 🙂
Just want to say this thread convinced me to speed up my own plans. I was going to wait till next year to finish my remaining windows, but I'm going to get quotes now and try to get it done sooner. Reading all these success stories got me motivated. Thanks for the inspiration everyone! 😊