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An Ideal Home report says closing curtains shortly before sunset can help slow heat loss through windows and may reduce the need for extra heating. The writer measured a 2°C difference on either side of thermal curtains, but the test does not establish bill savings, and results depend on the home and its window coverings.
An Ideal Home writer reports that closing curtains shortly before sunset helped keep rooms warmer in a household test, with a 2°C difference measured around thermal curtains. The report supports the practice as a possible way to slow heat loss through windows, but does not quantify energy or bill savings; results depend on the glazing, curtains and insulation in each home.
The writer said they resumed closing curtains early over the previous week and found the home felt warmer for longer in the evening, reducing the perceived need to run the central heating for another hour. In one temperature check after sunset, the writer recorded a 2°C difference in front of and behind thermal curtains. This is a reading from one home, not a controlled estimate of typical savings.
Measurements varied by window treatment. The report recorded a difference of just under 1°C around wooden blinds and about 0.5°C around standard curtains. The writer said thermal curtains and blinds performed best in their home. The report does not provide a testing protocol, repeated measurements or evidence that the temperature differences translate directly into lower energy use.
Stuart Middleton, So Energy’s consumer energy expert, said curtains add a layer that can slow heat escaping through windows, with thick, well-fitting or thermally lined curtains potentially more effective. The report recommends closing curtains just before sunset to retain daytime solar warmth. It gives 4:30 p.m. as an example for a day when sunset was expected at 4:52 p.m.; that timing is location- and date-specific.
Curtains May Reduce Evening Heat Loss
For households trying to limit heating use, drawing curtains is a low-cost habit that may make rooms feel warmer without buying equipment or changing the thermostat. If a room stays comfortable for longer, residents may choose to run heating for less time or use a portable heater less often. The report describes this as a possible effect, not a measured reduction in energy consumption.
How much difference it makes is likely to vary. Window type, curtain fit, fabric and insulation affect heat loss, while the test offers no bill comparison or estimate of kilowatt-hours saved. The practical takeaway is modest: closing suitable curtains at dusk may help, but it is not a substitute for addressing substantial draughts or other insulation problems.
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The One-Home Test Behind the Advice
The Ideal Home report revisits advice to close curtains as daylight fades, then describes the writer’s experience over roughly a week. It cites an earlier temperature check in the writer’s home, where the reported difference was greatest with thermal curtains and smaller with wooden blinds and standard curtains. These observations are personal measurements, not a broader study.
The report also discusses automation for people who are away at sunset. It names the SwitchBot Curtain 3, listed in the source at £99.99, and quotes Ideal Home digital editor Becky describing scheduled curtain use. That is a product example and user account, not evidence that automation itself saves energy. The report provides no independent test of the device or comparison of its cost with possible savings.
“Windows can be a source of heat loss, so drawing your curtains creates an additional layer of insulation that helps slow the rate at which heat escapes.”
— Stuart Middleton, So Energy’s consumer energy expert
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Savings and Test Limits
The report does not state how much energy or money the writer saved, or whether heating use was tracked during the test. The 2°C reading is a comparison on either side of curtains in one home; the source does not explain the measurement method, duration, or whether conditions were controlled. It cannot establish the result other homes should expect.
The source also does not give the home’s window specifications, indoor heating settings or full insulation details. Its opening discussion mentions energy-price changes, but those figures are not needed to interpret the curtain test and do not prove that this habit offsets higher bills. Any expected benefit remains dependent on individual conditions.
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Use Sunset as a Local Cue
The report’s practical recommendation is to close curtains just before local sunset, after daylight has contributed warmth and before evening heat loss becomes more relevant. Sunset changes by date and location, so readers can use a local forecast or set a reminder. People who are away can consider scheduled curtain controls, though the source does not show whether their purchase cost would be recovered through energy savings.
To judge whether the habit helps at home, residents can compare comfort and heating use across similar evenings, while noting weather and thermostat settings. The report gives no forthcoming study or follow-up measurement; until better comparative data are available, its findings should be treated as a household observation rather than a guaranteed saving.
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Key Questions
Does closing curtains early save energy?
It may help slow heat loss through windows and could reduce the need for extra heating, but the report does not measure energy savings. The effect depends on the home and its window coverings.
When should curtains be closed?
The report recommends closing them shortly before sunset to retain daytime warmth while limiting heat loss after dark. The exact time changes with location and date.
Which window coverings performed best in the report?
The writer reported the largest temperature difference around thermal curtains and blinds, followed by wooden blinds and then standard curtains and fabric blinds. These were observations from one home, not universal test results.
Does the 2°C difference mean bills will fall?
No. The 2°C reading compares temperatures in front of and behind thermal curtains, according to the writer. The report does not show a corresponding reduction in heating use or bills.
Source: rss
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