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As energy prices rise and environmental concerns grow, homeowners are increasingly looking for smart, stylish ways to reduce heat loss and cut energy bills. One of the most overlooked yet impactful areas? Your window dressings. Let’s explore how blinds, curtains and shutters can transform your home into a warmer and more cost-effective space.
Windows account for up to 18% of heat loss in homes, according to our own study carried out by Salford University*, backed up by research from English Heritage**, and Historic Environment Scotland***. But with the right window treatments, you can dramatically improve your home’s thermal performance without sacrificing style.
Windows are beautiful architectural features, but they’re also weak points in your home’s thermal envelope. Heat escapes in three different ways:
Double glazing won’t necessarily fully eliminate these losses. That’s where thermal window dressings come in.
Thermal window dressings act as an extra layer of insulation. They reduce heat transfer, block drafts, and reflect radiant heat back into the room. Depending on the product, they can cut heat loss by 13% to 55%, which is a significant amount if you translate it into the cost of heating over the course of a year.
So let’s break down the best options available.
Window dressing | Window dressing Heat loss reduction Key features | Key features |
Up to 55% | Honeycomb structure traps air, range of colours, choice of fitting styles | |
Up to 36% | Choice of styles, can be paired with blinds or curtains, available in wood tones and colours | |
Up to 21% | Thermal lining available to add extra insulation, wide range of colours and patterns | |
Up to 13% | Can be layered or paired with curtains, ideal for heavy moisture areas |
Pleated blinds are a really versatile choice, available in a range of colours, textures, fabrics and fitting styles. Some of them have specialist coatings which can help keep the sun out in summer too, while maintaining a sleek look.
If you’re losing heat at doors, then Intu blinds are the answer – they’re effectively a scaled-down version of Duette and Pleated blinds (so often referred to as micro blinds), designed specifically to be slimline enough to be fitted directly to bifold doors without impeding their function.
You can also opt for a Perfect Fit blind, so-called because the blind fits into a frame that clips into the door or window frame, fitting perfectly as it’s custom-made. Choose from Roller, Pleated and Vertical blind styles.
Customer Bea Taylor turned to us for help with the patio doors in her beautiful kitchen. Artist Bea spends a lot of time in the kitchen, even using it to draw in, and needed a solution that kept the room warm in winter, reduced glare in summer and still allowed use of the doors to her stunning garden year-round. Local advisor Ben worked with Bea to find the ideal solution, motorised Duette blinds.
“We feel the cold in our kitchen in the winter, so it’s really reassuring to know the blinds help to reduce heat loss. They’re going to aid the room’s temperature, and also in the summer they’re going to be great for keeping the heat out.”
Here’s our three-step plan to help you keep warm this winter, without turning up the heating.
Choosing the right window dressings can significantly enhance your home’s energy efficiency while adding style and comfort. From high-performance Duette® blinds to versatile shutters and thermal lined Roman blinds, there’s a solution for every space and look.
Ready to make your home warmer and more energy-efficient? Book a free consultation with your local Hillarys advisor today.
*Salford Energy House Thermal Performance of Window Coverings Testing, 2023
**English Heritage Research Report, 2009
***Historic Environment Scotland Technical Paper 1, 2008
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