{"id":1023,"date":"2021-03-18T17:13:01","date_gmt":"2021-03-18T17:13:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thebeddingplanet.com\/?p=1023"},"modified":"2021-07-27T16:50:15","modified_gmt":"2021-07-27T16:50:15","slug":"are-blackout-curtains-energy-efficient","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thebeddingplanet.com\/are-blackout-curtains-energy-efficient\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Blackout Curtains Energy Efficient? Can They Lower My Energy Bill?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This post is part of the blackout curtain buyers guide.<\/a><\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blackout curtains are a popular choice for those of us who need complete darkness to sleep or enjoy sleeping in after the sun has come up. What if there are more benefits to fitting blackout curtains to your house windows<\/a>? Let\u2019s have a look at how blackout curtains could have an effect on your energy bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blackout curtains can help to lower your energy bill. They can reduce your heating costs by up to 24%<\/a>. This happens because of the thermal insulation that blackout curtains can provide. Your windows are definite weak points in the thermal envelope of your home. Adding a layer of insulation can have a big impact on your energy bill.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While this information might have you running off to the curtain store to upgrade the thermal efficiency of your home, it\u2019s important to look a little bit deeper to make sure you make the right choice. This post will contain everything you need to know about how blackout curtains<\/a> can save you money on your electricity bill. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Unexpected Origin of The Blackout Curtain<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

So to get this ball rolling, let\u2019s first look at the unexpected origins of the humble blackout curtain. As with a lot of things that are now commonplace in our day to day lives, blackout curtains have a somewhat dark start in World War II in Britain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A popular method of attack in World War II was the air raid. And a lot of air raids happened in the dead of night. In an attempt to confuse the enemy planes, Britain started dimming all the lights that were blazing in the streets during the night. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This started with street lights and car headlights. There was even a \u2018knitting for Britain\u2019 campaign where children were knitting simple coverings for lights in order to confuse the enemy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eventually, this extended to blocking the light from residences as well. As it would be impractical to force everyone to keep all their house lights off at night, somebody came up with the idea of putting up light blocking covers over the windows. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This even became law in 1939 with blackout regulations in Britain. During this time, people began to notice the hidden benefits of blackout curtains; the complete darkness, the muffled outside noises, and the reduced need for climate control inside their homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They enjoyed these benefits so much that, when the war ended, many people carried on using their blackout curtains. As we live in a capitalist society, manufacturers saw this as an opportunity and rushed to improve the look, ease of use, and effectiveness of blackout curtains. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Does This Story Have to do With my Energy Bill?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As we\u2019ve discussed above, the first blackout curtains had one job: block light from leaving the windows so that the bomber jets can\u2019t see where we are. In 2021, blackout curtains have a lot more work to do than simply blocking light. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They\u2019ve been upgraded and improved to be sleek and aesthetically pleasing. They\u2019ve been streamlined to improve ease of use. And they\u2019ve been modified to be more effective at all the things that they do. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the areas of improvement has been thermal efficiency. Blackout curtains are an important part of plugging up any leaks in your home’s thermal envelope. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you go to sleep at night, you most likely cover yourself with a blanket. That blanket traps your body heat and keeps you warm all night in a cosy little cocoon of the heat that your body produces naturally. You can think of blackout curtains as covering your windows with a nice heavy blanket. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s The Difference Between Blackout and Normal Curtains? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The main difference between blackout curtains and normal curtains is, as you may have guessed, the fabric<\/a>. Normal curtains are typically one layer of fabric. Blackout curtains are a few layers of fabric, at least one of which has been specifically designed to block light. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These extra layers of fabric also add to the thermal efficiency of the curtains. If we use the blanket analogy again, it\u2019s like adding an extra blanket or two to your windows. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A thin layer of air gets trapped in between the layers of the curtain. And it\u2019s this thin layer of air that acts as a buffer between two different temperatures, namely, the indoor temperature and the outdoor temperature. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can be helpful to look at double or triple paned glass to understand this concept better. These types of windows simply use a layer of air to drastically decrease the temperature exchange between the inside and the outside. Increasing the layers of air increases the thermal efficiency of your windows. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can I Make my Blackout Curtains More Thermally Efficient?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"price-of-blackout-curtains\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Following on from the paragraph above, a simple way to work with the natural way these curtains work is to not disturb or ruffle the curtains once you\u2019ve closed them. You want to keep that layer of air undisturbed. Ruffling your curtains could be seen as \u2018resetting\u2019 them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another way to maximise the thermal efficiency of your blackout curtains comes in the way that they are installed. If your curtains are not yet installed then these are some things you need to keep in mind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Make sure that, when closed, the curtains are actually touching the walls surrounding the windows on all sides. You might be able to hang the curtains inside the bay of the window which would be the most effective. <\/li>
  2. Make sure they are long enough so that they just rest on the sill of the window. Make sure they are wide enough so that they touch the walls on the outside of the windows. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    If your curtains don\u2019t touch the walls above the window, this is not much of a problem. If you think back to science class in high school, you will remember that hot air rises. Which means that cold air sinks. So if there is a gap between the top of the curtains and the wall, all the cold air will be trapped between the curtain and the window in a pocket of cold air. This is known as stratifying. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Keep that in mind when you walk past those curtains. If you happen to brush the bottom of the curtain and it billows away from the wall, all that cold air that\u2019s trapped behind the curtain will tumble down into your living space and make it a touch colder. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Thankfully, blackout curtains are often heavier than normal curtains. So ruffling them with a light breeze is not as easy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You can even go as far as modifying your blackout curtains<\/a> so that they create an air seal surrounding the window. This will make sure that trapped air will never be able to escape when you least need it to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How to Fasten Your Blackout Curtains For Optimal Energy Efficiency<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\"Blackout<\/a>