It’s no secret that the cost of living is on the rise. So, we’re all looking for ways that we can save money around the home. What you may not have considered is installing energy saving window furnishings to save you money.
Now you might be asking, how can choosing the right curtains or blinds save you money on your power bills? Well, did you know that up to 40% of a home’s heating energy can be lost and up to 87% of its heat gained through windows1? That means without proper window shading, you’ll be running your heaters much more in winter, and needing the air conditioner going much more often in summer.
Basically, a single pane of bare glass can gain or lose up to 10 times more heat than the same sized area of uninsulated wall2. So, what can you do about this? Window furnishings can play a major role in how well-insulated and energy efficient your home is.
We’re going to take a look at some of our Top Energy Saving options when it comes to window furnishings. Investing in a smart decision for your own home means you’ll be saving money in the long run.
Rest assured that even though these are smart options, they are still incredibly stylish too!
Honeycomb Blinds
The ultimate energy saving blind, the blockout honeycomb collection from Tuiss features little pleated pockets that are lined with aluminium. These pleated pockets effectively trap the energy in the cells, giving you the ultimate thermal protection for your home. The heat gets trapped in the cells during winter to keep the room warm, so your heater doesn’t have to work overtime to keep you nice and cosy. The opposite applies in summer as they keep the heat out, so your air conditioner doesn’t have to work overtime. This means you’re also saving money on your power bills.
A nice little bonus with these ones is that they can help muffle sound too, so if you live on a busy road, these ones would be a great choice. We also have a new addition to our honeycomb blind family – Double Thermal Blinds. These feature a revolutionary design of two layers of honeycomb pockets, giving you even more thermal insulation right where you need it.
Blockout Curtains
Did you know that curtains with a blockout lining also provide amazing thermal insulation, right up there with honeycombs? This provides a huge benefit all year around, offering complete privacy and total light control. Not to mention the energy savings in both winter and summer! On those cold winter nights, think of them like a big warm blanket on your windows, making sure your entire home stays toasty and warm! With so many different colours and prints to choose from, you can choose to have your curtains be a subtle feature in the space, or be the absolute hero with a fabulous designer fabric to make a statement.
Our tip here is to make sure the curtains reach the floor level, to really create that pocket of energy. Ideally you should consider having floor to ceiling s-fold curtains to save the maximum amount of energy. They look incredibly impressive when installed this way too.
Blockout Roman Blinds
Opting for blockout lining on your roman blinds is the smart choice. Firstly, it keeps the sun from interrupting your sleep-ins on the weekend. And secondly, the lining provides a great barrier right at your window. This keeps the cool winter air out, and the warm heated air in the room with you. Again, this works in the summer months as well to keep your home nice and cool.
Plantation Shutters
Shutters! That’s right – did you know that beautiful solid timber plantation shutters are actually excellent at insulating your rooms from the cold? Shutters create a barrier over the glass when they’re closed, meaning the heat isn’t escaping, and that frosty cold air doesn’t invade your cosy rooms. It’s an option that many people overlook when considering energy saving window furnishings to save you money. These are a brilliant option if you’re not really into the look of soft fabrics, however they do also look great when paired with curtains as well.
Outdoor Blinds
We often think of outdoor blinds in the summer months to keep the heat out of our homes, but the Shade IT outdoor window blinds from Tuiss also offer an additional layer of thermal protection in the winter. Outdoor blinds help with insulation for year-round temperature regulation. With a 1% open weave, the fabric of the outdoor blinds available from Tuiss still offer a view to the outdoors while providing UV and sunlight protection.
TUISS HOT TIP: Layering
Think of it this way, just as you layer up your clothing on those cold days to stay nice and cosy, you can layer up your blinds and curtains too! Just because you’ve opted for a blockout roman blind or a honeycomb blind doesn’t mean you need to miss out on the soft dreamy look of curtains. A popular trend we’re seeing at Tuiss is installing a beautiful s-fold curtain over the top of a blockout blind, giving you the ultimate flexibility when it comes to both thermal insulation and light control. Add an outdoor blind to this combo and you’ve got all bases covered!
And if you’ve already got this covered, we have some handy tips for keeping your blinds nice and clean too. You can read more about that here!
SOURCES:
1 Glazing | YourHome: https://www.yourhome.gov.au/passive-design/glazing
2 Home windows and shading for energy efficiency: https://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/energy-efficiency-and-reducing-emissions/building-or-renovating/windows-and-shading
