Simple Window Treatments Can Reduce Winter Heating Costs
As the weather gets colder, less light may be coming in through your windows, but more heat may be escaping.
Ric Evans, energy auditor, and owner of Paradigm Energy Services, says windows end up being one of the biggest contributors to heat loss from a home.
“R value is basically a measure of resistance to heat flow,” explains Evans. “Different materials have different R values and different resistances to heat. Walls are typically around an R-21 while windows are, at most, around an R-3 or R-4. In other words, the heat is going to transfer through the windows a lot more easily than through the walls.”
Evans says unless windows are broken, there’s no need to replace them to increase energy efficiency. “It can take up to 85 years for new windows to pay for themselves in energy savings,” says Evans. “Some simple window treatments and plastic can pay for themselves in less than one season.”
To increase the amount of heat that stays in your home, Evans recommends installing storm windows and doors and window coverings like curtains and blinds. “Whether it’s metal, fabric, wood, or vinyl, you want to put something between the room and that pane of glass,” says Evans.
The cheapest option is a plastic window covering available at most hardware stores. Evans says the shrink-wrap type insulator is effective at keeping out the cold because it provides an additional layer between the glass and the room and also seals the cracks and crevices around the window. “When the plastic is up on the window, you'll notice it has a big bow to it. You can really see the cold air trying to get in."
Caulking and sealing around windows and doors, in addition to covering them is also an inexpensive way to better keep heat in your home.
"By insulating or sealing windows, you're looking at a 5 to 15% reduction in cost in many homes,” says Evans, but it does depend on the size of the windows, their orientation, and how well-protected the home is from the elements.”
