Wonder no more as there has actually been research conducted to determine this very thing.
Before we look at the research, did you know that you lose more heat through your windows than from any other place in your house? In fact, as much as 30% of the heat in your home is wasted through uncovered windows.
Would you willingly toss 30% of your energy dollars out the window? Not likely. On the other hand, that’s how much of a typical home’s heating and cooling is lost through its windows and doors.
So how do you prevent heat from flying out the window and lower your heating costs at the same time?
Research into different window coverings by Dr Paul Baker at Glasgow Caledonian University’s Centre for Research on Indoor Climate and Health has produced encouraging results for home owners who not only want to reduce their power bills but also preserve the beauty of their window treatments.
The highest standard has always been considered to be double-glazed windows. Double-glazing is not something we hear much of in Australia, but it’s generally considered a far better option to the single glazed window that we’re all familiar with, as the heat lost through a single glazed window is about twice that through a double glazed window.
The research shows that while installing double-glazing reduces heat loss by 55 per cent, some window coverings did extremely well also.
For instance heavy curtains reduce heat loss by 14%, which is not so good. But internal wooden shutters performed nearly as well as double glazing, reducing heat loss by up to a staggering 51 per cent!
So while our customers primarily buy our shutters for their good looks, they are pleasantly surprised that as a side effect they can also reduce their power bills.
South-facing windows present additional heat loss problems in winter as the lack of direct sun prevents the window surface from warming up.
