In the winter, up to 16% of the air your furnace works so hard to heat up is lost through uncovered windows. But with the right set of curtains, you can get lower heating bills, a more comfortable home, and add some pizzazz to a room.
What You Should Know
- If you install a window covering on a window that faces north, you could save up 5% of your home heating and cooling costs.
- Drapes save energy effectively only if they fit tightly against the window and the floor. Usually this means a valance at the top, side guides, and weighted hems.
- Venetian blinds are the least-effective energy savers because they have so many gaps.
Easy Things You Can Do
Add some curtains or special insulating window shades to keep warm air in during the winter. Darker colors will absorb heat. Use Velcro or magnetic strips to seal edges, weighted hems and a valance to close air gaps.
Add an insulating lining to your draperies that create a sealed air gap between the window and the living space can reduce heat loss through the window by 25% to 50%.
Open curtains to allow the heat in. Keep blinds or curtains open on any east-, south-, or west-facing windows during the day to get a boost from the sun.
Close them to retain heat at night. If you have a large window that doesn't receive a lot of sun, keep its blinds or curtains closed during the night and day in winter to reduce heat loss.
Retract or remove any awnings, particularly on south-facing windows.
Add some rolling shutters (shutters that can roll all the way down or up) for exterior windows and keep them closed tight for excellent insulation, privacy, and protection from severe weather. Many rolling shutters have insulation in their slats, which can improve the insulating efficiency of a single-pane window by up to 65% and that of a double-paned window by up to 50%.
Sources: 51 Easy Ways You Can Prevent Global Warming and Save Money, by Jeffrey Langholz, PhD, and Kelly Turner, and 30 Simple Energy Things You Can Do To Save the Earth, by PG&E