The potential for increasing the use of automatic windows in housing is significant with users including elderly or disabled people, children and shorter people, and for inaccessible locations such as rooflights. Purchasers should consider whole life costs, as well as initial costs of the controls, as issues such as maintenance requirements can significantly affect ongoing costs. The initial costs of automatic window controls are variable depending on the type of system and the number of components. The maintenance cost is a high proportion of the whole life costs for one-off installations so a reduction in maintenance period from annual to every 3-5 years would reduce the whole life costs of the controls. Automatic window controls generally work well when installation is good, and user satisfaction is high. However, poor installation can lead to failure or the need for maintenance work. 16 pages.