In recent years we’ve seen major strides forward developing in areas like loft and roof insulation, but it’s only recently that eco-minded designers have started talking seriously about making windows (and their frames) as heat-retentive as a house’s walls.

The need to conserve energy is a government imperative, and there are ambitious targets for making all homes energy compliant in a very few years’ time.

But, again, it’s the practical business of affordability that is engaging the interest of people anxious about the fuel bills of tomorrow. The same people are also concerned about the saleability of their homes.

Improvements that may once have belonged in the “nice to do” category are now becoming almost obligatory, because the draughty, energy-inefficient house of yesteryear is a distinctly less appealing prospect than one which ticks all the right boxes on heat conservation.

A few decades ago we saw the first substantial move towards energy retention with the mass advent of double glazing, but cold climate countries including Canada and Denmark have been pioneering triple glazing as a way of taking the whole process a logical step farther forward.

So while double glazing is standard, triple is looking ahead to the very different environment of tomorrow - one in which householders will potentially look at energy costs before considering whether a home has a nice garden or a particularly attractive conservatory.

Heat loss is measured as a U-value, which ranges from around 0.3 in a wall to a whacking 5.0 in a single-pane window - and building regulations now specify new window installations need a minimum ticket of 1.6 or less to be acceptable.

Unfortunately some of the older (as in a decade or more) double glazing products can be almost double that minimum, and are rapidly becoming the Betamax of energy-saving windows - and are increasingly in need of replacement.

It isn’t just the extra pane of glass which makes the difference, but, for example, sophisticated hi-tech coatings which retain solar heat, and a “filling” of argon inert gas between panes which also harbours heat.

Add to this sort of system new “smart” designs for window frames, which eliminate heat-losing aluminium fittings, and you have the makings of an affordable mass market defence against freezing Scottish winters and those potentially crippling fuel bills.

Meanwhile the very top rating accorded to window design by the British Fenestration Rating Council goes to windows so sophisticated that they actually absorb more heat than they lose - a dream solution which represents the cutting edge of energy-efficient home improvement.

In a complex and ever-changing design environment, it’s triple glazing which is emerging as the silver bullet solution to many homeowners’ energy problems, and rapid take-up by the mass market - with assistance of the right kind from government - should make this enhanced form of heat protection increasingly accessible.

And as a bonus, an eco-conscious household investing in triple glazing will be doing its bit to keep energy use within sensible limits - while keeping the house nice and warm at any time of year.

For more information visit: www.everest.co.uk – see what triple glazing options there are for you at one of Scotland’s leading home improvement specialists http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/ - view the top tips and tricks to help you save energy http://www.channel4.com/4homes/ - get the lowdown on the latest home improvement trends and innovations