Households are being urged to close curtains from 5.36pm (Image: PA)
Households worried about rising energy bills are being urged to close their curtains from about 5.36pm today.
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.
This week, it was announced that will rise again by another 6.4% this April, adding £111 a year on average to the typical household’s gas and electricity bills.
At a time when bills are set to increase, and with a host of other bills going up in April from to , now is a good time to take a look at ways to cut your usage (as well as grabbing a cheap energy fix if you can).
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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.
Today, the sun is setting at 5.38pm up in Leeds, and 5.36pm in London, but is within a few minutes of that across the UK.
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.”