Cheap and Quick fixes to keeping your house warm

Fire_Fox

trailingspouse wrote: »

Yes, curtains over radiators is my problem. 5 out of 6 of our main windows have long curtains over the rads. And one of them also has a sofa in front of the radiator, meaning the back of the sofa is lovely and warm, the rest of the room not so much. But there's no-where else in the room to put the sofa!

The question is, what to do about it? The radiators are under the windows because a) that's the best place to put them, taking into account what else is in the room and b) if they weren't under the window, that part of the room would be even colder, which wouldn't really help. And the curtains are long because - fashion. Curtains that only come down to the window ledge look really old fashioned, and sort of unfinished.

Any idea what difference it would actually make to the heating bill if the rads were exposed? Is it worth shortening the curtains?

Consider using the long drapes as "dress curtains", and fitting blinds with thermal properties (eg. honeycomb) in the window reveals.