Do Shutters prevent heat loss?

One of our most commonly asked questions from customers, especially at this time of year, is “do shutters prevent heat loss?”. Even with the UK heatwave and drought, we are experiencing, homeowners begin to start thinking of ways to keep their costs of living down and homes nice and warm during the approaching winter.

According to a variety of research using websites such as The English Heritage and The Department of Energy, we have discovered that up to 30% of heat loss in your homes can escape through your windows and doors. Throughout the years of experience, our experts have had in the shutter industry and looking more into the research previously mentioned, they have found that wooden shutters can actually reduce heat loss up to more than 50% more than most window dressings. A quote directly from the research team at The English Heritage states ” estimated heat losses by conduction and radiation through the window as a whole can be reduced by: 50-60%, by using shutters or blinds with reflective surfaces facing outdoors“.

For those with a slightly higher budget, the best pairing that is suggested by the research paper mentioned is Low-E window glazing and shutters which can prevent heat loss up to 74%. This form of glazing is slightly more expensive compared to the standard double-glazed windows but prevents heat loss and creates a thermally efficient finish.

We know that the rising energy costs is affecting the lives of many and all we are asking is “how to save money on gas and electricity bills” or “how to prepare for winter”. At The Shutter Studio, the team wants to help customers discover the long-term changes they can make to their homes with energy-efficient window dressings to try and save money in winter.

Shutters and Blinds

Wooden shutters sit directly on window frames, fitted perfectly into your space. With a style such as Full Height and Tier on Tier that covers the entire window from top to bottom, you could prevent heat from escaping and cold air from entering your property with ease. During the evenings and nights during the colder seasons, we recommend keeping your louvres and panel doors closed throughout as this is when the temperature drops most.

Shutters are not just a temporary window dressing, with good maintenance, they can last many years in a property without needing to be replaced and over time can help you bring those energy costs down and prevent the constant worry of asking “how can I reduce gas usage in my home”. With insulating window dressings like shutters, your heating bill can be dropped in the colder seasons.

As well as shutters, a range of our made-to-measure blinds can provide similar outcomes to shutters when it comes to energy efficiency. Honeycomb pleated blinds are one of our most energy-efficient blinds as stated on our website page can actively trap heat within the small cells on the honeycomb pattern and reflect the sun during the summer. This helps regulate the temperature of your home throughout the year but also lowers your energy bills by allowing you to use your heating a lot less throughout the day.

We also provide shutters with integrated blackout blinds within our range. With a specially designed frame that allows for one of the honeycomb blinds to sit behind the shutter panel, this creates our close-to-blackout shutter dressing. With both layers of both shutter and blind, they not only provide two layers of protection against light and privacy but also provide an energy-saving window dressing, with greater heat loss prevention than any other covering.

More Money Saving Tips

Now we are no Martin Lewis but we can try and help with as many small tips and tricks as we can to help our customers and readers this upcoming winter:

Tackle draughty spots – We have already discussed how our products can help reduce your heat loss on windows and doors but there are also other ways of preventing heat escaping in places you may not have even thought of. Adding simple elements such as draught excluders on door frames, a letterbox brush in your front door and closing doors and vents in rooms that are not used as often can prevent any heat loss.
Turn down your heating thermostats – Thermostats use smart technology so that when your home reaches a certain temperature, the heating automatically turns off and turning this down just one degree, can help save you money throughout the year. Setting your heating to come on when you wake up and for when you return home just for a few hours and not all day can also help keep your home warmest when you need it most.
Turn TV’s off standby mode and switch to energy light bulbs – Most electrical appliances now run with an automatic standby mode and by turning off as many as you can throughout your home can help reduce those electric bills. Experts also say that by switching to energy-efficient light bulbs in an average household can save you £40 throughout the year.
Use your window dressings effectively – Closing your curtains, blinds or shutters overnight can help keep your interior warm in the coldest parts of the day. If we are lucky to see some sunshine during the winter, we recommend using this to your advantage. Allowing the sun in by opening your dressings during the day, especially shutters, can help naturally warm up your home, reducing your need for constantly putting the heating on.

We hope we have helped provide some useful information for customers looking for new ways to upgrade their homes for the long run and also reduce their bills throughout the year. The simple answer to “Do shutters keep heat in?” is yes! We are proud of being able to provide a product with a variety of benefits for your home, whilst also being a long-lasting window dressing you can rely on for many years.

To chat to our team about our products and how they can benefit you, use the contact detail below to get in touch: