The estimated cost was £700, and she was saying we 'might as well' do the 18-odd other windows in our 1885 South London Victorian terrace house for about £12,000 - an outlay that would take decades to pay for itself.
Furthermore, it would look vile.
Like so many others who own period properties - 20 per cent of the 22 million homes in England and Wales are pre-1918 - we have only slowly got to grips with our profligate energy consumption.
We have followed the fashion of recent years, making our house less insulated than when we moved in 12 years ago: carpets have been taken up in favourof draughty floorboards and old curtains replaced with blinds.Last year, I made a start by buying three sets of heavy, interlined curtains, which instantly warmed up the house on winter nights.
Gordon Brown's visit to the nearby Sheehan family in Balham last month to unveil his £910 million energy aid package goaded me to further efforts.
Sue Sheehan saved 42% on her heating bills - £300 to £400 - by rigorously draught-proofing a house little different to ours.
Most interestingly, she had double glazed her pleasant old sash windows with clear plastic secondary glazing attached to the window frame with magnetic tape.
'I did get a quote for glass but it was £7,500, while the plastic panels cost £700 for the entire house,' said Sue, 43, an avowed eco-evangelist who is, ironically, a motoring journalist.
'They made more difference than anything else in keeping the house warm and after two winters they will pay for themselves.' They are also unobtrusive, being clearer than the original 1880s glass.
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