How Curtains Steal Heat from Radiators

Feeling cold even though your heating is on? Don’t put your curtain on top of the radiator!

Rooms with radiators under windows can be pretty cold during winter and this gets worse with curtains on radiators. Modern radiators heat the room with the convection system that circulates warm air around the room.

(Modern Radiator Convection System)

When curtains are pulled in front of a radiator, the radiator releases warm air behind the curtain and heats only the window’s space.
During winter, days are shorter and curtains are pulled even earlier than usual. By doing so, we risk using more energy/heat more than necessary, leading to much higher bills.

(Curtain in front of a radiator, blocking circulation of warm air)

If your room feels cold, our tip is to try putting your curtains behind the radiator.

(By putting the curtain behind the radiator, warm air can travel in the room freely)

This way the radiator warms the room rather than the window’s space. It also allows the radiator’s convection system to work perfectly and as it was designed.

If you are concerned the curtains may catch on fire – don’t worry, radiator surfaces do not get hot enough to cause a fire or flame.

Energy prices are on the rise, the more efficient our radiators the less we pay and the warmer we are! Curtains on radiators are a commonly overlooked issue, don’t let that give you a higher bill!

To find out more advice on how and which energy provider to use, we suggest www.ofgem.gov.uk who are Great Britain’s independent energy regulator.
If you want to compare your energy prices, check these comparison sites:

• Uswitch
• MoneySuperMarket
• SimplySwitch

If you’ve found this article useful, please consider giving it a share to help others.