You've been drawing your curtains wrong - and it will hike up your energy bills

28 October 2023 , 13:31

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You might have been closing your curtains wrong all this time. (Stock Photo) (Image: Getty Images)

As we get deeper into autumn and closer to the coldest winter months ahead, many people are looking for ways to reduce their energy bills, while still staying as warm and cosy as possible in their homes. With the issues brought by the cost of living crisis still ongoing and energy prices still a concern for many of us, the best hacks to keep your property warm are absolutely free - like this one from a heating expert.

You would be forgiven for thinking that there is not really a wrong way to draw your curtains, as it is one of the daily activities you undertake in your home without even really thinking about it. However, simply changing the way you draw your curtains could really help heat your home up more, without turning the thermostat up.

Experts from Utility Billing, speaking to The Express, explained that this simple trick when it comes to closing your curtains once the day has turned dark can stop heat from escaping out of your windows and can therefore help minimise your heating bills over the winter. All you need to do is ensure that your curtains are behind your radiator when they are drawn.

Utility Bidder's managing director - James Longley - said this is the type of "small changes and habits [that] can go a long way to heating your home cost-effectively, especially where finances provide uncertainty ahead of the festive period."

The way that keeping your radiators tucked behind your radiators when they are drawn works is by making sure that the radiator's heat has a clear path to the room, rather than being blocked by the curtain. If your curtains are blocking the radiator, then the heat gets trapped behind them and escapes out of your windows, rather than heating the whole room up.

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This is a similar logic to why the experts also don't advise that you put furniture in front of your radiators because the heat can't pass through it and warm the entire room. They also advise that a quick and easy way to minimise your heating costs is to make the most of the daylight itself, even after the clocks go back and the days are much shorter.

By keeping your blinds or curtains open when there is sunlight you allow its innate warmth inside to fill your home - meaning that when you close the curtains later, there is more warmth inside already before you even go to turn your heating on.

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Emma Mackenzie