With energy prices remaining a concern for many households, especially those who face the reality of fuel poverty, homeowners are looking for practical ways to make their homes more energy efficient. While loft insulation and double glazing often grab the headlines, one simple upgrade is frequently overlooked: thermal curtains.
But do they actually make a difference, or are they simply another marketing trick?
The answer is yes – when chosen correctly, thermal curtains can help reduce heat loss, improve comfort and even lower your heating bills. Here’s what you need to know before investing.
What Are Thermal Curtains?
Thermal curtains are designed with specialist thermal linings or interlinings that help reduce heat transfer through your windows. Rather than allowing warm air to escape through the glass, they create an insulating barrier between your room and the window.
They’re particularly effective during darker, colder months when windows are one of the biggest sources of heat loss in a home.
Thermal curtains aren’t just about appearance. They combine style with performance, helping your home feel warmer, and even less draughty. A great place to put thermal curtains is over your front and back doors, particularly in older homes and if you have older doors. That breeze that comes through the key hole? Or through a slightly flappy letter box that cools the whole place? Trapped behind the curtain. Got a cat flap? Providing your furry friend (or fiend!) isn’t scared by booping into a wall of fabric, a thermal curtain could be your new best friend!
How Much Heat Can You Save?
Naturally, windows lose more heat than insulated walls, especially in properties with large glazed areas, or older homes with original sash windows. Conservatories are notoriously cold in winter too.
By trapping a layer of air between the curtain and the window, thermal curtains slow the transfer of heat from inside your cosy home to outside. The thicker the curtain and the better the fit, the more effective this insulating layer becomes.
While the exact savings depend on your home, heating habits and window type, many homeowners notice that rooms stay warmer for longer after the heating switches off. That means your boiler doesn’t have to work as hard to maintain a comfortable temperature. This reduces your bills and saves you money.
The Biggest Benefits Beyond Lower Bills
Saving money is only one reason people choose thermal curtains.
They also make rooms feel noticeably cosier by reducing cold draughts around windows. You might not think it, but thermal linings can also improve acoustic insulation, helping reduce outside noise from busy roads or neighbouring properties.
Many thermal curtains are available with blackout linings too, making them an excellent choice for bedrooms where warmth, darkness and privacy all matter.
Are They Worth It in Modern Homes?
It’s easy to assume thermal curtains are only useful in older houses, but that’s not the case.
Even modern double glazing still allows heat to escape, especially during winter evenings. Thermal curtains provide another layer of insulation that complements your existing windows rather than replacing them.
In open-plan living spaces with large patio doors or floor-to-ceiling glazing, they can be particularly effective at making the room feel more comfortable after sunset, cosier on dark nights and frosty mornings.
They can also be beneficial in the increasingly hot summers by slowing down the movement of hot, outside air to inside making you that bit more comfortable when the mercury rises.
Made-to-Measure Makes a Difference
Not all thermal curtains perform equally.
Curtains that are too short or too narrow leave gaps where warm air can escape. Made-to-measure curtains provide fuller coverage, fitting your windows properly and maximising their insulating performance. Remember to raise your curtain poles 10cm above your window, and extend it 7cm wider than it on either side to get the full benefit of properly fitted curtains.
Make sure the thermal lining you choose is of good quality, and compliment your interior with a fabric of your choosing to combine the best heat and energy efficiency with design. It’s a smart home without the faff of another app or other technology.
If you’re already planning to update your window dressings, choosing made-to-measure curtains with a thermal lining is one of the easiest ways to combine beautiful interiors with practical energy savings.
Sewing House does have “curtains” and “thermal curtains”, rather they have curtains you can line with thermal material so that everyone has the same excellent, wide range of curtains and designers to choose from. So head over to The Sewing House today for all of your cosy curtain needs!