Warning issued to homeowners with curtains – as they could increase your energy bill

Mar 03, 2025

Homeowners might not be heating their homes efficiently due to improper curtain use, interior design experts have hinted.

Amid a flurry of energy-saving advice on social media, particularly with the upcoming April price cap hike, one tip has stood out for its simplicity and potential impact on reducing costs.

Nazia X Home, a lifestyle blogger known for her cleaning hacks and tutorials on TikTok, shared a video demonstrating a straightforward method to ensure proper home heating. The trick is to keep curtains on the window sill to avoid blocking the radiators.

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In her video, Nazia lifts her bedroom curtains from the radiator and places them on the window ledge, showing viewers how to effectively heat a room.

This video was in response to a query from another user who asked: "If your window and windowsill get wet, why do you put your curtains that way?? You'd probably be better off with longer curtains than those shorter ones."

Nazia replied: "They are long curtains. When the heating is on, they go up on the windowsill, otherwise it's heating the curtains and not the room."

She elaborated further on her tip, adding: "Either on the windowsill or behind the heaters but not in front as it blocks the radiator."

The TikToker's insights align with advice from industry experts regarding the proper use of curtains to ensure efficient room heating. Jess Steele from BestHeating.com emphasised smart and cost-effective heating practices during the cost of living crisis.

She explained on the company website: "As the cost of living crisis continues to create budget difficulties, one of the questions we often get asked is, is it ok to hang curtains over radiators?"

Jess then outlined the reason why keeping curtains away from radiators works better, saying: "The reason for this can be explained by how radiators actually heat the room. The process is called convection.

"When the heating is on, the warm air from the top of the radiator rises and heats up the cooler air above. The hot air moves up to the ceiling because it is lighter than cool air.

"As the hot air cools again, it sinks and moves around the room in a convection current. This allows the radiator to heat up the whole space by distributing heat evenly."

She illustrated how curtains over radiators could block this vital heat flow, adding: "Now you can picture the circular motion of hot air particles, it is easy to see how long curtains over radiators would block heat and prevent the warm air from moving around the room efficiently."

Jess also provided practical guidance with a five-step solution for those concerned about their curtains hampering home heating.

Ensure that the bottom of the curtains is at least 4cm above the top of the radiator.

Keep the curtains open when the heating is on.

Avoid tucking curtains behind the radiator, instead use tie backs.

Combine floor length curtains with blinds for extra privacy and sunlight control.

Fit ceiling tracks to increase the gap between the radiator and the curtains.