Energy Bills Rising? The Window Upgrade Most Homeowners Miss

Your heating bill arrives. It is higher than last year. Again.

You have switched energy providers, turned the thermostat down, and put on an extra jumper. But nobody has mentioned the obvious: your windows are letting the heat out.

The forgotten heat leak

Government figures put around 18% of a home’s heat loss through its windows. Not because the windows are broken or the seals have failed, but because glass is simply a poor insulator. Even modern double glazing allows significant heat transfer.

Most homeowners think about insulation in terms of loft, walls, and floors. Windows rarely get a mention, despite being responsible for the largest proportion of heat loss per square metre of any surface in your home.

What shutters do to heat loss

Interior shutters create a secondary barrier between the cold glass and your warm room. When the louvres are closed, they trap a layer of still air between the shutter panel and the window. Still air is one of the best insulators there is.

The result is measurable. In independent testing at the University of Salford, commissioned by the British Blind and Shutter Association, a closed shutter cut heat loss through the glass by around 30% on modern double glazing.

Cellular blinds: the insulation specialists

If energy efficiency is your priority, cellular blinds (honeycomb blinds) are among the most effective window coverings available.

Each blind contains rows of honeycomb shaped cells that trap air in insulating pockets. The effect is similar to double glazing, but without replacing the window.

In the same Salford testing, a free-hanging honeycomb blind cut heat loss through the glass by 29%, and one fitted to the glass with a foil insert by 34%, on the glazing tested.

The combination approach

Many of our customers use shutters and cellular blinds together, shutters for everyday light and privacy control, with a cellular blind fitted behind for maximum insulation when needed.

This combination gives you the best of both worlds: the style and durability of shutters with the thermal performance of cellular technology. It is particularly effective on north facing windows and in older properties with single or early double glazing.

The maths

A typical three bedroom home in Scotland might have 12 to 15 windows. Cutting heat loss at the glass by around 30% on each of those windows means less of the heat you pay for escaping through them.

We are not going to promise specific savings, because every home is different. What we can say is that the measured reduction at the glass is real, and the rooms with the most glass tend to feel the difference first.

See the full range

Our energy saving blog post goes into more detail on the science behind shutter insulation.

To explore the full range of shutters, blinds, and the materials available, request our 52 page brochure. It is packed with real installations from homes across Scotland.

Or call us on 0800 086 2989 to talk through your options. No pressure, no salespeople. Just impartial advice from people who have been doing this since 1987.