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Windows On Finance – Double glazing interest free credit
Windows On Finance – Double glazing interest free credit
Why KJM Group chooses honest, transparent pricing over national “Interest-Free” gimmicks.
“Interest-Free” finance for windows is never truly free. Finance companies charge window retailers massive subsidies (often 10% to 20% of the product value) to offer 0% deals. To cover these fees, national companies heavily inflate their base window prices for everyone. At KJM Group, we do not offer finance. Instead, we provide a transparent, lower “cash price” without hidden bank markups, often saving you thousands compared to “interest-free” competitors.
If you are looking for new windows, doors, or a conservatory, you have undoubtedly seen the adverts. Flashing graphics on websites and glossy TV commercials promising “Interest-Free Credit,” “0% Finance for 3 Years,” or “Buy Now Pay Later.”
On the surface, these offers seem incredible. They appear to be a way to get the home improvements you need right now without paying a penny extra for the privilege of borrowing the money.
You landed on this page because you are probably researching a similar deal. But at KJM Group, we need to be honest with you: we do not offer finance packages.
Why? Because after decades in this industry, we know the truth about how these “deals” really work. We believe that in almost every case, so-called “free finance” ends up costing the customer significantly more money.
Page Contents
1. The Illusion of “Interest-Free” Credit (IFC)
The most important thing to understand about finance is this: lending money is never free.
Finance houses and banks are businesses. They do not lend millions of pounds for windows and doors out of the goodness of their hearts. They have to make a profit. If they aren’t charging you interest, someone else is paying their fees.
In the home improvement industry, that “someone else” is the window company. The retailer has to pay a massive subsidy to the finance provider to offer you that 0% rate. For a typical 1-year interest-free deal, this subsidy can cost the retailer around 10% of the total loan value. For longer terms, that cost can easily exceed 20%.
2. The Hidden Cost: Inflated Base Prices
So, if the window company has to pay a 10% to 20% fee to the lender, how do they recoup that cost? They add it to the price of your windows.
It is generally against financial regulations for a company to offer two different prices for the exact same product specification (e.g., one cheaper price for cash, and a more expensive one for 0% finance). So, how do they get around this?
They simply inflate their base prices for everyone. When a national company heavily promotes 0% finance, their standard prices are usually significantly higher than an independent specialist to cover those hidden bank subsidies. You might not be paying “interest,” but you are paying a vastly inflated capital cost for the product.
If a company can afford to lose 10%–20% of the sale price to a finance company and still make a profit, it suggests their initial price was far too high to begin with. At KJM, we pass that saving directly to you by offering a lower, honest “cash price” from the start.
Hypothetical Example: The Real Cost of 0%
Imagine a house full of new windows has a genuine, honest market value of £8,000. Here is how it plays out with a typical “0% finance” retailer versus an honest-pricing retailer like KJM, based on a standard 1-year interest-free term.
| Comparison | Typical “0% Finance” Retailer | Honest Retailer (e.g., KJM) |
|---|---|---|
| True Value of Windows | £8,000 | £8,000 |
| Hidden Finance Subsidy (approx. 10%) | + £800 (Built into price) | £0 |
| Quoted Price to Customer | £8,800 | £8,000 |
| Interest Charged | 0% | N/A (Cash Price) |
| TOTAL YOU PAY | £8,800 | £8,000 |
In this scenario, the “interest-free” deal actually cost the customer an extra £800. On longer finance terms (like 3 or 4 years), that hidden markup figure could easily double.
3. The Dangers of “Buy Now Pay Later” (BNPL)
“Buy Now Pay Later” deals are often marketed as “Pay nothing for 12 months.” Like interest-free credit, these deals also incur subsidy fees for the retailer, keeping your base prices high.
Furthermore, they often come with a devastating financial penalty for the consumer.
⚠️ The “Sting in the Tail”: Backdated Interest
The small print in many BNPL agreements contains a crucial trap. If you fail to pay off the entire balance by the absolute final day of the deferred period (e.g., day 365 of a 12-month agreement), you don’t just start paying interest from that day onwards.
Instead, the lender backdates high-interest charges (often 15-25% APR) right back to day one.
If you miss that deadline by even twenty-four hours, or if you are £1 short of the full settlement figure, you could suddenly owe thousands of pounds in accumulated interest overnight.
4. A Better Way: Financing Your Project Independently
At KJM, we want you to get the best quality windows and doors for the best possible price. By refusing to offer inflated finance packages, we ensure our baseline prices remain highly competitive and totally transparent.
If you do need to borrow money to fund your home improvement project, sourcing your own finance independently is almost always cheaper than taking a packaged deal from a window installer.
Smart Alternatives to Installer Finance:
- Personal Bank Loans: High-street bank loans often have very competitive, low APR rates. Even with the interest applied, the total amount repayable is often thousands less than the inflated price of a “0% deal.”
- 0% Purchase Credit Cards: For smaller projects (like a single composite door), a credit card with a long 0% introductory period on purchases can be a genuinely free way to spread the cost, provided you are disciplined about paying it off before the period ends.
- Remortgaging / Additional Borrowing: For large projects like conservatories or orangeries, adding the cost to your mortgage is often the cheapest way to borrow long-term due to traditionally lower mortgage rates.
5. Frequently Asked Questions
We choose not to because providing 0% finance costs the retailer huge sums in bank subsidies (often 10-20% of the order value). To cover these costs, companies have to significantly inflate their initial prices. We prefer to offer transparent, lower prices to all our customers without hidden finance markups.
Rarely. While you may not pay “interest” directly to the bank, you are almost certainly paying a much higher capital cost for the windows themselves. This is to cover the hidden subsidy the window retailer pays to the bank to facilitate the deal.
Aside from inflated base prices, the biggest risk is failing to settle the full balance by the end of the deferred period. If you miss the deadline, many lenders backdate high-interest charges right to the start of the agreement, landing you with a substantial and unexpected bill.
We recommend sourcing independent finance. A low-rate personal bank loan, a 0% purchase credit card (paid off within the introductory period), or additional borrowing on your mortgage are often much cheaper methods overall than packaged installer finance deals.
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Don’t Pay More to Borrow “Free” Money
If you want a competitive price with absolutely no hidden financial costs or banking subsidies, contact our friendly team. We guarantee no high-pressure sales tactics—just honest advice and quality products.
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Mark Pearce is a highly experienced specialist in the double glazing industry, having built his knowledge from the ground up through hands-on experience in installation, manufacturing, sales, and business management. Beyond his role at KJM, Mark is a keen blogger, writer, and traveller, often sharing insights on the latest innovations in the home improvement industry.
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