How To Use Window Blinds To Reduce Energy Costs

Budgets are tight and winter is on the way, which means increased heating bills. Everyone has heard about eliminating leaks around windows and doors, craw spaces, under eaves and any place there is a break in the integrity of your home's exterior surface. What you may not be aware of is the effectiveness of window blinds to help you reduce your energy costs this winter. In the same way, you can reduce your summer cooling bills by applying the opposite strategies.

Window shades and window blinds can be used to create a buffer zone between your window glass and your home's interior that acts as a passive insulator, reducing your heating and cooling bills significantly. Following these basic suggestions can turn your expensive winter heat sink into a cozy winter hideaway and your summer hot box into a cool, comfortable sanctuary.

Take Advantage Of The Sun's Heat In Winter

Sunlight provides heat, even in the middle of winter. Leaving your windows closed, but opening your drapes, window shades and window blinds can allow the sun's heat to be absorbed by your furniture, flooring and carpeting. This heat is then released into the rooms of your home at no cost to you. Darker carpets and darker furnishings will absorb more of the sun's heat than lighter colors, so you may wish to strategically place dark throw rugs near your windows that receive sunlight during the day.

If you notice, when opening your drapes, window shades or window blinds, that the air closest to the window is warmer than that of the rest of the room, you can benefit by opening your window treatments earlier in the day. If, however, you notice significantly colder air, you may have a leak somewhere around your window frame that requires your attention to repair.

Turn Away The Summer Heat With Window Treatments

In the summer, use your heaviest window treatments to block the day's hottest sunlight from entering your home, reducing its ability to heat your home. Drapes, window shades and window blinds that have a light, reflective color on the exterior and a darker color on the inside will increase the cooling effectiveness of window treatments in the summer by reflecting more light away from your home and creating a dimmer, cooler environment within your home.

During the cooler evening and night time hours, open your window treatments and your windows to allow the cooler air to circulate through your home without paying for air-conditioning. By timing the opening and closing of your windows and window treatments throughout the summer, you can greatly reduce your cooling expense while still keeping your home at a comfortable temperature.

Window shades and window blinds can provide you with a cost effective means to reducing your energy costs within the home by blocking out heat from the summer sun and maintaining a constant, more comfortable temperature in the winter months with only minimal effort and expense on your part.