I don't get to come on this forum so much these days so I apologise for asking advice but you are so helpful here!  As there is a windows scrappage scheme being advertised at the moment (unofficial I think), we are thinking of having new front windows.  We have two wooden bay windows - top and bottom - made up of five windows each.  Would anyone have any idea very roughly of what these may cost to replace and could anyone recommend a windows supplier.  The scrappage scheme is being offered by Everest and Anglian only.
Many thanks :)

Have you got details of the scheme ? :-)

Hi there
Everest is offering 'up to £2000 scrappage bonus - £100 per window replaced max 20 windows so I suppose that means only £1000 for ours (or £200 if they count each bay as one window).  They are also offering 35% off the list price less scrappage bonus.  Anglian are offering up to £2000 plus 35% so probably exactly the same as Everest but I don't have any more details than this.  Any advice would be welcome - I am not exactly an expert when it comes to home improvements!
Thank you

Personally I would replace them with wood not uPVC :) uPVC windows don't have a very long life compared to wood and are environmentally unfriendly, both in their construction and at the end of their life when they are disposed of :) :) Wooden windows also look much nicer as well IMO :)

Daisy

My in-laws are having one large bay window replaced in UPVC and are paying £1100.00 !!!!!!
We have got wooden double glazing and i can't wait to swap for UPVC !

I would avoid both Everest and Anglian.  I've had new windows in 3 properties in the past 4 years and have found that local (Fensa) companies are about 2/3 of the price of the big companies.

Sounds like a marketing ploy to me.  Shop around - go and look at examples of windows to see what they look like.  Unfortunately good wood windows are expensive - I wouldn't touch cheap ones with a barge pole.  We have had to opt for plastic in our new house - having nothing between us and the Atlantic we get the full blast of these gales.   Our sliding sash are finished with a wood affect (they are white) and I can open them from inside for cleaning.  I really wanted to be as eco friendly as possible with building but at the end of the day cost has to come first.  However wood do look the best - plastic will always have a thicker profile. 

>Personally I would replace them with wood not uPVC

Ditto. uPVC windows aren't all they're cracked up (no pun intended!) to be.

We've just ripped out all the uPVC windows in the old part of our 'new' house and replaced them with wood (as in the new extension). Some of the windows were only 7 years old and were already broken and looking very tatty :( Wood can last far, far longer than uPVC so is a better investment in the long run :) One problem with uPVC is some people think that it requires no maintenance.

Daisy

ditto daisy and JG. upvc is unsightly, and not enviro friendly.......wood is much much nicer :)

Hi and thank you everyone, this has given me a lot to think about.  One of the marketing ploys being used here is that replacing old windows with new energy efficient windows would 'lower the country's carbon footprint by reducing CO2 emissions and cutting household energy bills' so I actually thought I would be helping the environment (I am very gullible).  My partner goes green every time I mention replacing the wood as he loves it and to be honest so do I.  There is just so much wood to keep looking good plus I daren't open the large windows because I can't guarantee they will shut again.  Has anyone had wooden windows overhauled - I don't think we could afford to replace them with wood, we were quoted £2000 to replace the two side window frames and the bays would be far more than that. It is also impossible to find a good carpenter these days.
Many thanks for this and any further advice would be wonderful!!

If your windows haven't rotted then they can be overhauled I am sure.  New windows - whether plastic or wood have to have trickle vents in - We have managed to get our building inspector to acknowledge that not every single window in a room has to have a trickle vent - but the main bathroom had a trickle vent in - with an ordinary vent just above that can't be closed - don't talk to me about saving costs on heating with new 'efficient windows' with all the ventilation that you HAVE to have (yes of course you need some for safety and to stop mould from growing - after all we are much too stupid to think of opening a window :-( ) there are howling draughts everywhere in a new house.  Trickle vents even when closed let the wind in - the room I am sitting in now is in the roof - ventilation in the roof means that there is quite a nasty draught around my feet that comes right through the studding.  The only eco-friendly way to build a house these days is timber frame and an enclosed ventilation system that is a heat recovery system.  Then you have an electric pump on all the time and you keep windows and doors tightly closed to make it work. 

Sorry rant over.

All windows need maintenance but plastic don't need repainting which is an extremely costly job with the health and safety rules.