Window Replacement Payback Calculator
Cost, estimated energy savings, and payback for new windows.
Enter your own from your utility bills: heating fuel plus the cooling share of your electric bill. The default, $900, is ENERGY STAR's figure for an average U.S. household.
How to use this calculator
Enter how many windows you're replacing, the tier of replacement window, what you currently have, and your current annual heating and cooling bill. The savings estimate scales with your actual bill, so it's worth checking a utility statement rather than guessing.
How this is calculated
Project cost is your window count times a national installed price-per-window range for the tier you choose. Annual savings is your heating/cooling bill times a rule-of-thumb savings share: replacing single-pane windows saves more than replacing older double-pane windows, since single-pane starts from a much less efficient baseline. Payback period is cost divided by annual savings.
Typical savings
ENERGY STAR's modeling puts the savings from replacing single-pane windows with ENERGY STAR certified windows at about 11–12% of heating and cooling costs, depending on climate zone, so the calculator uses 12%. Replacing older, non-efficient double-pane windows saves about half as much, so the calculator uses 6%.
Estimate only, based on published 2026 national price ranges and ENERGY STAR rule-of-thumb savings estimates. Actual savings depend on your climate, home envelope, and how airtight the installation is. The federal window tax credit under Section 25C (up to $600) expired for windows placed in service after December 31, 2025, and isn't included here. Utility rebates for efficient windows still vary by provider — check locally.
Read the full guide
Do New Windows Pay for Themselves? Cost vs. Energy Savings