Available in eight colours and finishes which can be applied both externally and internally, Residence 9 is ideal for those living in conservation areas looking for a top end luxury window brand with the most authentic of appearances as it offers all the benefits of wooden windows and much more.

Residence 9 provides a virtually maintenance-free finish, can accommodate both double glazing and triple glazing and will come with a choice of welded frames or mechanically jointed frames. It can also be incorporated into orangeries and garden rooms.

The Residence 9 concept was first unveiled at the 2011 Conservatory Outlet Dealer conference by Dan Gill of Eclectic Systems whilst the product was still at development stage.

This year’s dealer conference saw Dan return armed with full window samples and promotional literature where he launched Residence 9 to the 22 Conservatory Outlet dealers that attended the event.

It proved to be one of the most popular presentations of the day, receiving unanimous praise from the floor which led to the conservatories and double glazing firm putting their faith in the product.

Conservatory Outlet are currently in the process of manufacturing showroom samples and producing bespoke literature for its network of dealers, as well as, adding the product to their own website in readiness for its launch.

A total of five suppliers entered the bidding process, Co-operative Energy, EDF Energy, E.ON, First Utility, and Scottish Power. Co-Operative Energy won through after putting forward a brand new fixed rate tariff which will be offered to 30,000 people who signed up to the scheme on a first-come first-served basis, as well as, 25,000 of their existing customers.

This is despite 285,000 people signing up to the Big Switch which means that many property owners will be left disappointed if demand for the tariff proves to be high. Which? will confirm how many people have opted to sign up by the end of the summer.

Though it still isn’t the cheapest tariff available, news of Co-Operative Energy’s tariff may hopefully spark something of a price war between both suppliers who took part and the wider market. This can only be good for those struggling to pay for their energy bills.

It also cannot be underestimated how important it is to have double glazing installed at your home if you want to keep the cost of household fuel affordable. Single glazed windows are a common cause of heat loss, whereas replacing them with double glazed windows will make a huge difference to the price of energy bills and level of insulation offered.

Over time, the savings made courtesy of your new windows can then be put towards other forms of home improvement such as conservatories as a conservatory can add to the resale value of a home.

Investment company Skandia say that just two years ago, 82 per cent of people stated that they would be happy with savings totalling £5,000. However, since then it would appear that people have re-evaluated that stance, as now only 64 per cent of people say that £5,000 worth of savings would suffice.

A Skandia spokesman says: “The rise in the cost of living, uncertainty with the economic climate and talk of recession is clearly making people wish they had a larger nest egg than they might have considered necessary before.”

Living costs are a particular problem for most UK homeowners at the moment as the cost of energy in particular has shot through the roof in recent years. Gas and electricity bills across the board have reached a whole new level and resulted in large numbers either living in fuel poverty, serious debt or simply without heat and light at essential times of the year.

Those who have yet to install contemporary windows and conservatories will be amongst those hit hardest by expensive heating bills as old windows are a common cause of draughts and heat loss. The same goes for any ageing doors they may have.

Whereas, those who have installed double glazing, triple glazing or a conservatory with a set of French doors, will already be aware of the insulation and financial rewards to be had from owning them. The energy savings you can expect to make will more than come in handy in future years and can be put to one side for a rainy day.

If it is extra space that you are craving why not extend your current property? Conservatories are often a suitable solution for homeowners who need an extra room in their home. They also can be built to an unlimited range of shapes and sizes so you can design something that will really help to complement your existing property.

Edwardian conservatories and Victorian conservatories are some of the most popular conservatory designs available and have been for many decades. Their simplicity and clean lines make them an impressive addition to any home, leaving many guests envious of your new home improvement.

The extra floor space that can be gained through the addition of a conservatory is amazing and you will quickly find that you have enough room to store all of your family’s belongings. The extra room can also be transformed into something more functional such as a stunning dining room to entertain friends or a modern office to complete a bit of work. The possibilities really are endless.

A conservatory or orangery will help to give you and your family the extra space that you need, ensuring that you can stay in your current property for years to come.

The owners and directors of conservatories and double glazing companies from Aberdeen to the Isle of Wight were united by Conservatory Outlet at the Waterton Park Hotel, Walton, almost a year to the day since the 2011 event which was attended by a then full-complement of fourteen dealers.

The audience of over sixty people were repaid for their efforts to get to the venue with 10 separate presentations designed to help Conservatory Outlet Dealers to continue to defy industry trends – a trend in itself which was alluded to in Sales Director Greg Kane’s ‘Review of the Market’ at the beginning of the day.

Equally topical presentations followed from guest speakers such as Brian Smith, Glass and Glazing Federation Home Improvement Manager, who outlined the intricacies of the Green Deal, and Conservatory Outlet’s Operations Director Michael Giscombe who spoke about the recent product improvements and introductions made by the Wakefield-based fabricator.

Delegates were also treated to a unique presentation from the principal organiser of the conservatory, window and door industry’s new and only trade exhibition; FIT Show’s Matthew Glover, also the MD of Conservatory Outlet.

‘After a hugely successful Dealer Conference last year, we had no problem convincing our dealers to attend this year’s event, nor did we have a shortage of high-profile guest speakers, who really add value to the day,’ said Greg Kane.

‘Since the 2011 Dealer Conference, eight reputable installers have joined the Conservatory Outlet Network but from those who have been fortunate enough to attend both the 2011 and 2012 conferences, many commented that we exceeded expectations once again.’

More informal and light-hearted conversations took place in the evening over complimentary drinks and a three course meal. A Golf day also took place, sponsored by Motionlab Marketing, during which fifteen guests competed against each other and the weather.

The two statistics are thought to be no coincidence according to Conservatory Outlet Sales Director Greg Kane; ‘Clearly, a large proportion of the record number of leads we generated in January have been successfully converted into retail sales by Conservatory Outlet dealers who have, in turn, ordered more double glazing and triple glazing windows, doors and conservatories from us – it’s a perfect example of the mutually beneficial relationship that we have with our dealers.’

The main websites belonging to Conservatory Outlet generated a total of 1200 leads during the first month of 2012, with individual dealer websites – over 20 individual sites, all provided free of charge by Conservatory Outlet – generating in the region of 4,500 enquiries during the same period. The online leads generated by Conservatory Outlet are sent automatically to the regional dealer for that area within seconds of the enquiry being made, giving sales staff the best possible chance of arranging a set appointment.

Many of the sales advisors from the Conservatory Outlet Network of Dealers are also currently undertaking a programme of retail sales training, run by Paul Clifton and funded by Conservatory Outlet, with the aim of further improving conversion rates at every stage of the sales process.

Following the record month for online enquiries in January, Conservatory Outlet processed an average of 275 frames every working day in March – edging closer to 300 frames per working day in April – not to mention orders for roofs and glass which all contributed to the company’s best ever month for order intake. The influx of orders came from existing and long standing Conservatory Outlet Dealers, as well as those installers who have joined the network in recent months, and it is estimated that the combined turnover of all Conservatory Outlet dealers exceeded £8m in March.

‘Installers do experience an early benefit when they join the Conservatory Outlet Network, but thanks to the regular introduction of new products and initiatives long-standing Conservatory Outlet dealers continue to prosper as well. Our record month in March was a result of the increased sales of installers who have been with us for anything from 5 months to over 5 years,’ said Greg.

Conservatory Outlet are firmly committed to protecting the environment, hence their support for Ripple Africa who are involved with a variety of environmental projects in Malawi, Africa.

So far, the home improvement firm has agreed to fund the planting of 20 tree nurseries in Malawi which equates to 72,000 trees per year, one tree for every window or door frame manufactured by Conservatory Outlet, or 50 trees for all conservatories and orangeries installed by its dealership.

On top of this, Managing Director of Conservatory Outlet, Matthew Glover, has also confirmed that next year’s Fabricator and Installer Trade (FIT) Show, which he has co-organised, will be supporting Wakefield charity Thornes Park Nursery.

In addition to providing the initiative with regular monthly donations, the FIT Show will also fund the design of a new website for Thornes Park Nursery, which is based less than a mile away from Conservatory Outlet and FIT Show’s head offices.

The Nursery can also expect to benefit from Matthew’s business and marketing expertise that has seen him prosper with Conservatory Outlet and the launch of the FIT Show, a huge event in the double glazing and conservatory industry calendar for 2013.

Ripple Africa and Thornes Park Nursery are both great examples of how, collectively, FIT Show and Conservatory Outlet are making a difference to charities locally and much further afield.

However, the Guardian newspaper has today uncovered that a similar scheme is already in force in Uttlesford, Essex and has been for the past five years without any complaints from residents in the area. A spokesman for Uttlesford council says the scheme has proved to be a huge success:

“It has proven to be very, very uncontroversial. It is not about making people put solar panels on their roofs at massive expense. It is about sensible measures.”

In response to the above The Department of Communities and Local Government have stated:

“This is a local scheme whereby a council has used its local flexibility in imposing specific planning requirements.”

More embarrassing for the government and Mr Cameron in particular, is the fact that Uttlesford is a Conservative-led district.

News that the proposal isn’t set to go-ahead will come as a welcome relief to homeowners across the country, especially those looking towards installing conservatories at some point in the future as it may have forced them into purchasing extra items such as double glazing and alike.

Not that it isn’t also worthwhile buying double glazing as it can save you copious amounts of money on future energy bills and will improve the insulation of a home ten-fold. It can also help make a home look that bit more visually-appealing.

Grasp the opportunity to install a conservatory or double glazing with both hands as they promise to give you long-term benefit.

Within just three weeks of a specially organised press launch event in February announcing that the FIT Show would be staged next year, more than 50% of floor space had already been booked by many of the industry’s high-profile conservatories and double glazing companies.

With a 500k marketing budget to hand, organisers of the event were fully aware that having a presence online would play a crucial part in helping them secure further big names so that they can achieve full industry representation, attract in excess of 150 exhibitors and make certain that ‘everyone’s going’.

One of the key aims of the site is to give all exhibiting firms an appropriate platform upon which they can display a detailed company profile and promote their presence at the event, which takes place between 16-18^th April 2013 at the Telford International Centre (TIC).

Call to actions are present throughout the site so that any company interested in taking up exhibition space can declare their interest courtesy of a short online form, with QR codes utilised to ensure a speedy registration process.

A set of enhanced floor plan visuals can also be accessed so that visitors to the site can view a full layout of the TIC and see how exhibition space has been allotted to signed-up companies, which currently includes Conservatory Outlet, Door-Stop and Edgetech, amongst many others.

A WordPress facility has been included in the site so that the news pages and content can regularly be updated in the run up to the event with ease.

The site: http://www.fitshow.co.uk has been put together between organisers of the event, Conservatory Outlet Managing Director Matthew Glover and Paul Godwin of Vast PR, and Preston web design agency Motionlab who are widely recognised for providing high-quality web-based solutions to home improvement companies.

As a result, it means that the TGO becomes the official ombudsman scheme for settling domestic glazing installation complaints within the UK.

Conservatory Outlet – who are also members of the Glass and Glazing Federation – were one of the first companies in the window industry to sign up to the TGO scheme when it launched in the middle of last year.

TGO provides free dispute resolution between consumers and double glazing companies, ensuring that the public can buy home improvement products with added peace of mind, extreme confidence and are always guaranteed value for money. The Glazing Ombudsman is independent, fair and impartial in his judgements for consumers and Installers

Being a member of TGO is one of many ways that Conservatory Outlet justifies its position as one of the leading companies in the window, door and conservatory industry. The company also offers a range of Energy Saving Trust Recommended windows, as well as Secured by Design windows and doors, conservatories, orangeries, porches, French doors and patio doors.

In the unlikely event that a homeowner is unhappy with a Conservatory Outlet installation, they have the reassurance that TGO offers them a formal route to pursue their complaint further via a scheme that is itself accredited and recognised as an official ombudsman scheme.