Window Treatments for Energy Savings

Window treatments in today’s homes are about so much more than mere aesthetics. The right window treatments can also help you save a significant amount of money, month after month, on your energy bills. These are just a few things to consider when searching for window treatments if saving money is a priority for your family.

Color Matters
There’s no denying that purchasing windows that offer better energy performance is a great start for reducing heat gain in the summer, but choosing curtains, blinds, or shades for your home that are either light in color or reflective adds more depth to the overall energy savings.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, by choosing draperies that are medium in color and have white plastic backings you can reduce the heat gain inside your home by up to 33 percent.

Use Solar Heating to Your Advantage
While the warmth of the sun is something you’d love to bring into your home on a winter’s afternoon, it’s not something you desire during the dog days of summer. Look for window treatments that allow you to take advantage of the warmth when it’s cold outside, but also give you the ability to minimize the heat coming in during summer months.

Exterior Window Treatments Make a Big Difference
If you’re looking for serious sun shading results, don’t forget to look outside your home into awnings and exterior blinds. U.S. Department of Energy indicates that awnings can reduce summertime heat gain by as much as 65 percent when placed over south-facing windows and up to 77 percent on those facing the west.

Additionally, exterior blinds allow you to control how much sunlight, and radiant heat, come into your home on any given day by raising, lowering, or partially raising or lowering them.

Honeycomb Shades
These shades are designed with pockets shaped like honeycombs. The unique structure allows you to keep the cooled or heated air inside your home from escaping adding yet another layer of protection to your window treatments.

It’s never a bad plan to save money on energy bills. These window treatment ideas will all work to help you cut your energy costs substantially.

If your summertime energy costs soar, another great tip you might like to put to work is this: install a whole house fan. The whole house fan draws cool air in while venting hot air out of your home at the same time creating better air circulation and cooler temperatures throughout your home at a fraction of the cost of air conditioning.