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Ideal Home’s reporter says closing curtains just before sunset made rooms feel warmer and measured a 2°C difference across thermal curtains and blinds. An energy expert says curtains can slow heat loss through windows, but the report provides no measured bill savings and says results depend on the home and window coverings.
Ideal Home reports that closing curtains shortly before sunset can help keep rooms warmer by adding a layer over windows, where heat can escape. In the writer’s home, a thermometer showed a 2°C difference in front of and behind thermal curtains and blinds after sunset, though the report did not measure a change in energy bills or heating use.
The report’s writer said she resumed closing curtains early over the previous week and noticed that her home felt warmer for longer in the evening. She said that this meant she did not need to turn the central heating on for an additional hour. That is a personal observation, not a controlled test of energy consumption, and no meter readings or bill comparisons were provided.
Stuart Middleton, So Energy’s consumer energy expert, said windows can be a source of heat loss and that curtains create another insulating layer, slowing the rate at which heat escapes. He said thick, well-fitting or thermally lined curtains can be particularly effective. The report says the amount of energy saved varies with the windows, coverings and overall insulation, and gives no general savings figure.
The writer reported different temperature readings for different coverings: about 2°C across thermal curtains and blinds, just under 1°C across wooden blinds, and about 0.5°C across standard curtains. These are readings from the writer’s home and do not establish how much heating energy was saved. The article recommends drawing curtains just before sunset to retain warmth while making use of daytime sunlight.
How Curtains May Affect Heating
Closing curtains is a low-cost habit that may help households feel more comfortable in colder evenings and reduce the need for extra heating, according to the report. Its practical appeal is that it requires no new equipment if curtains are already installed. However, a warmer-feeling room is not the same as a demonstrated reduction in energy use; the report did not quantify a change in gas or electricity consumption.
The distinction matters for readers weighing household energy measures. Curtain performance is likely to vary with the fabric, fit, glazing and insulation, so the temperature differences recorded in one home should not be treated as a forecast for other homes or as a bill-saving estimate. The report supports the habit as a possible aid to comfort, not a guaranteed financial result.
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The Sunset Timing Advice
The Ideal Home article places the advice in the colder months, when evenings arrive earlier and households may use more heating. It notes that energy prices had risen by 4% in October and cites predictions of increases between 16% and 25% in January. Those figures are presented by the original report; it does not identify a single forecast or provide details here about the tariff, market or source behind each prediction.
The recommended timing is just before local sunset. The article’s writer gives an example of setting a reminder for 4:30 p.m. ahead of a 4:52 p.m. sunset, while noting that sunset times change through the season. The purpose is to keep daytime solar warmth in the room after the sun goes down, rather than closing coverings so early that they block sunlight during the day.
For people away from home at sunset, the report mentions automated curtain and blind devices that can follow schedules or light levels. These are optional products, not required for the basic habit, and the article does not compare their costs with any resulting energy 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 consumer energy expert
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Savings Remain Unmeasured
The report does not establish how much energy or money closing curtains saves. Its temperature readings compare spaces on either side of different window coverings in one home; they are not measurements of whole-room temperature, heating demand or energy bills. The article also does not describe a controlled comparison with curtains left open under the same conditions.
It is unclear whether the reported 2°C difference would be repeated in other homes, or how much it reflects the curtains rather than window design, draughts, room conditions or measurement placement. The article’s price-rise figures are forecasts cited in its source material, not a calculation of how the curtain habit would offset higher costs.
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A Home-Specific Winter Test
Households interested in trying the habit can check local sunset times and close curtains shortly beforehand, while allowing sunlight into rooms during the day. The report suggests that well-fitting thermal coverings may perform better than lighter options, but it provides no universal product specification or guaranteed outcome. Readers can judge comfort in their own rooms and, if they want to assess energy effects, track heating settings and consumption over comparable periods while accounting for changes in weather and routine.
The original report does not announce a follow-up test or provide a later bill comparison. Any broader conclusion about savings would require measurements across different homes and window types; until then, the evidence described is limited to expert explanation and the writer’s household observations.
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Key Questions
Does closing curtains before sunset save energy?
It may help slow heat loss through windows and reduce the need for extra heating, according to So Energy expert Stuart Middleton. The Ideal Home report did not measure energy consumption or confirm a specific saving.
When should I close the curtains?
The report recommends closing them shortly before local sunset, so daytime sunlight can warm the room before the coverings are drawn. Sunset time changes with the season and location.
Which window coverings performed best in the report?
The writer reported the largest temperature difference—about 2°C—in front of and behind thermal curtains and blinds. Wooden blinds showed a difference of just under 1°C, while standard curtains showed about 0.5°C in that home.
How much could this reduce my energy bill?
The report gives no bill-saving estimate. It says the effect depends on the windows, curtains and the home’s insulation, and its temperature readings cannot be converted into a specific financial saving.
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