It is the dream of every homeowner to have a home that is not only visually appealing but also easy on the wallet. While there are many ways to reduce your home energy outflow (such as replacing your asphalt shingles with metal roofs), upgrading your old windows to energy efficient windows is a smart investment with great returns.

As the U.S. Energy Department explains, windows are the leaky points of the home and contribute to approximately 25% of your energy bills. A leaky window makes a leaky wallet. Investing in energy efficient windows is a solid and sustainable solution that will stop more energy and money from escaping under your watch. Here are 3 reasons why homeowners should invest in energy efficient windows:

1. Reduces Energy Costs

Traditional windows demonstrate little regard for your energy expenditure. On any given summer day, your traditional windows serve as a convenient passageway for cool air leakage and warm air infiltration. Energy efficient windows, on the other hand, will put an end to your escalating cooling bill that lands in your mailbox every month.

As its name suggests, an energy efficient window is designed to reduce energy spending and restore the comfort and economic freedom you once enjoyed. Unlike traditional windows, energy efficient windows are not only well-sealed and carefully installed, but also come with superior insulation. By keeping cool air inside and isolating your home from exterior solar and non-solar radiation sources, an energy efficient window ensures the lowest possible stress on your indoor cooling systems.

2. Improves Comfort

Energy efficient windows are windows with a low U-factor. U-factor is used to determine the insulation efficiency of a window by measuring the rate of heat transfer. A low U-factor shows that the surface in question can effectively reduce heat transfer and passage. Because energy efficient windows have low-E coatings, gas-fills, and insulating spacers and frames, they are known to ease winter heat loss and summer heat gain. If you don’t fall in love with energy efficient windows for their generous energy reduction of 40%, you will be thrilled to know that these amazing windows also:

• Offer excellent noise and humidity control

• Reduce pollen, dust, and insects (or pests) penetration

• Lower your home’s chances for getting ice dams on the roof in snowy climates

3. Reduces Fading

No homeowner likes to see their delicate furniture and other beautiful items lose their aesthetic appeal. However, fading and other deteriorations are quite common when items in your home are exposed to excessive solar heat and ultraviolet radiation.

Research has shown that UV rays are the number one cause of fading. Heat and normal visible light each contributes to 25% of the fading causes. “The remaining 10% cause of fading is from indoor artificial lighting, humidity, and poor dye anchorage.” Thankfully, a properly installed energy efficient window can improve the longevity of your precious belongings by blocking as much as 75% of the ultraviolet radiation. Many energy efficient windows are also coated with low-e coatings, enabling them to filter out 40% to 70% of the heat without compromising the lighting of your home.

There are, as indicated above, many benefits to making the switch to more technically evolved windows, such as energy efficient windows. However, they might not be for everyone. In other words, while, surely, every homeowner would like to save on and cut energy costs throughout their home, sometimes the cost vs saving aspect may not be worth it. So before making the leap, as you should with any household improvement or project, you should first assess your budget to ensure your home and finances will be receiving the appropriate ROI that often comes with energy Efficient windows.