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Thermal Energy Efficiency – Using Your Curtains!
When you think about being energy efficient, you probably think of things such as insulation, solar panels, and using energy-saving light bulbs. These things are all very well and good, but if you really want to be energy efficient, take a closer look at your windows. That’s right; your windows and curtains could end up saving you money. But how?
First of all, you need to look after your windows. If they’re old and sometimes let in some of the rain, obviously it’s time to replace them, but make sure you replace them with energy-efficient models. Old windows can be a huge source of heat loss from your home during the winter, meaning that the money you’re spending on your heating could literally be going right out the window. Some people even consider tinting their windows as a way of keeping out unwanted cold (or heat during the summer), whereas others just replace their window frames to a material (such as vinyl) that is more resistant to the transfer of heat. As tinted windows may not match the style of your home, you could always just use these at the back of your house.
So that’s windows, but what about your curtains or blinds? Of course, a simple way to save money in your home is to open all your curtains or blinds as wide as possible to let in as much natural light as possible, meaning that you can leave the lights off in your home for a little while longer (after all, sunlight costs nothing!). If it’s summer time (or if you live somewhere particularly hot), you may be running the air con in your home or making use of several fans to keep yourself cool. Closing your curtains against the hot sunlight can help, but what if you had curtains that would do this for you every single time the sun came through? If you were to install electric curtain tracks in front of your windows, you could use electric curtains or blinds that have a built-in light detecting unit. This technology realises when the sun is coming through the windows and will close the curtains automatically, keeping both the sun and the heat out. This also works the other way round: in the winter, you can program your curtains to open when it’s sunny, helping to keep your home warmer. The best part about this is that it will work whether you’re at home or not, so your house will stay either cool or warm even when you’re not there to move the curtains yourself.
Electric curtain tracks come in all kinds of different makes and models, but the Silent Gliss Autoglide range feature motorised curtain track systems with many different gadgets, from wall buttons to remote controls and programmable timers. So, if you’re looking to make your home more energy efficient, take a look at the types of curtain tracks available – soon you could be saving both energy and money.
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