Households worried about rising energy bills are being urged to close their curtains from about 4pm in November.
That is a very specific time for a reason – because when the sun sets, households can save money on energy by making sure their curtains are drawn.
Energy bills increased again in October, and are now 46% higher than they were in 2021, thanks to a combination of Brexit, Covid and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while energy giants post record profits. That’s why households will do what they can to keep costs as low as possible heading into the dark, cold winter and especially when weather warnings for ‘subzero’ temperatures land just this week.
One way experts have advised people can cut their bills is the use of what Martin Lewis calls ‘tactical curtains’.
This is where you open them during the day, when it’s light outside – even if it’s not terribly sunny – then close them again when the sun sets.
This week, the sun is setting at 4pm to 4.10pm depending where in the UK you are.
This trick works because it keeps heat inside the house when the temperature outside drops, but allows sunlight to warm your house during the day before that.
According to reports from The Times, the government could reduce energy bill support by £34million just by asking households to close their curtains at sunset.
That’s because heat loss through windows accounts for about 30% of energy use in our homes, so keeping windows covered up when it’s dark makes an instant difference.
The Office for National Statistics, amazingly, says that only about half of UK households actually close all their home’s curtains at night, meaning money is going to waste in many homes.
David Wilson Homes has explained how ‘solar gain’ works to help heat your house through its windows, a bit like a greenhouse effect, even on days where the sun isn’t strong.
A spokesman for the firm said: “You may think that keeping the curtains closed during the daytime helps to retain heat, but actually when the sun is shining towards your windows it is better to leave them open and take advantage of the solar gain.
“Once the sun begins to set in the early evening, you should then close the curtains or blinds to retain the heat emitted during the day.
“Another trick is to layer curtains over blinds or shutters to help manage heat loss in the evening.”
