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Do window shutters prevent heat loss?

The Department of Energy maintains that heat gain and heat loss through windows are responsible for 25% – 30% of residential heating and cooling energy use, making energy efficient windows an important consideration for homeowners. With so many of us keen to unleash our inner eco-warrior to conserve energy and heat loss in our homes, bumping energy efficient windows to the top of your ‘to do’ list is a great place to start proceedings. Window shutters are an excellent way to prevent heat loss through a window and according to a study by The English Heritage this can be by more than 50%. When combined with secondary glazing, this can exceed 62%.

Now, it’s all well and good The English Heritage (and many others) sharing their research into the thermal performance of windows but, as the saying goes – there is nothing like hearing it from the horse’s mouth! So, we surveyed our entire customer database to find out how efficient they found their shutters to be at keeping the cold out and the heat in (all 9,315 of them who opted in to hear from us!) and this is what we found…

WE ASKED OUR CUSTOMERS:

“Studies have shown that wooden window shutters are much more effective at reducing heat loss through a window than curtains or blinds. Would you agree with this? Since having shutters installed in your home, have you noticed a reduction in heat lost from your home?”

The results:

Out of the 503 respondents to the survey, 56% (281) of customers said ‘yes’, in their experience, they had noticed a definite reduction in heat loss from their home since having wooden window shutters installed.

The majority of these customers said that apart from feeling warmer, the most obvious signal that alerted them to the effectiveness of their shutters retaining more heat is that when they open the shutters after a period of closure, they can notice a difference in temperature between the cold air that has been trapped between the window and the shutters, and the warm air in the rest of the room. Many of these respondents stated that their shutters were a great barrier for preventing cold air entering the room. Some respondents reported that they were regularly turning their heating off in winter since having shutters installed with one customer even noticing a lower heating bill after fitting.

HERE ARE A FEW OF OUR FAVOURITE
COMMENTS FROM THE SURVEY:

“Yes, we have noticed our house has been much warmer in winter since having the wooden shutters. So not only do they look great but, they are very effective too. A very good investment – very pleased!”

“Yes agree. We had them closed a lot when it recently snowed, and we could definitely feel the difference.”

“We have definitely noticed the difference & regularly turn the heating off! It’s great!”

“Yes, working at home next to the window, when I open the shutters in the morning, I can noticeably feel the cold, something I hadn’t considered when getting them. An added bonus!”

“100%. I can open the windows full whack and not notice any heat loss.”

“Having Shutters on the windows is one of the best things I have done for the house, they are not so draughty, definitely feel warmer and keep the area around the windows so clean”.

“Yes, we noticed a dramatic difference in heat loss after installing the shutters. Shutters also help us manage the heat in the summer months more effectively.”

“Yes!! It’s amazing how you feel the change in temperature when you open the shutter!! We open the shutter for our cat, as she loves to lie on the windowsill and look out into the street and when the shutter is open you really notice a draft coming through”.

“Yes. Shutters were fitted in bedroom window specifically for this purpose.”

“Agree-definitely reduction in draughts”.

“Yes, significantly from day 1 the difference was dramatic.”

“Yes, most certainly. When you walk towards the window you cannot feel the coldness so much and they are good for security purposes”.

“My shutters have definitely reduced at least 95% of the cold transferred from the glass in my windows”.

“Yes, our front room is much warmer since installing shutters and we have not needed to double glaze the sash windows.”

“Yes, definitely. It is also easier to control airflow through the property when windows are open.”

“Yes, very much so. Although I have double glazing you can feel the cold trapped behind the shutters.”

“ABSOLUTELY YES!!! Even though I was told this was a benefit before purchase, I never realised to the extent of how true and beneficial this is. Thank you!”

“I have noticed that the lounge where we had the shutters fitted is warmer than it used to be and there used to be a breeze which has now disappeared!”

Of the 44% (222) of customers that responded ‘no’ to a heat loss reduction since installing wooden window shutters, the majority of responses were either from customers that had only recently had their shutters installed (and didn’t feel they could confidently report a noticeable difference), or from customers where shutters had been installed prior to them moving into the property (and therefore had nothing to compare it to).

There was a cluster of customers that responded ‘no’ because they had café style shutters where only half the window is covered (an ideal choice when privacy is a priority), or a Victorian/period property with tall ceilings and large rooms that are notoriously difficult to heat. The style of shutter a customer has can make a significant difference when comparing heat loss, for example a solid shutter will naturally be more effective when closed than shutters with louvres (slats).

We also recorded any customers that answered ‘possibly’ or ‘slightly’ within the 44% of customers that responded ‘no’.

If you are looking for new ways to reduce heat loss and control escalating heating bills, our wooden window, custom-made shutters will make all the difference – that’s what our customers tell us anyway!