How Was Your Utility Bill This Winter?

Did your utility bill this winter give you the winter blues worse than the weather did? Are you ready for it to do the same thing this summer when the temperature soars and you need your air conditioner to cool things off?Or are you ready to break this cycle and put a stop to those high utility bills?Better Window Treatments = Better Utility BillsPeople seriously underestimate how important their choice of window treatment is when it comes to their utility bill. Most window treatments are selected because they match the theme or décor of the room they are in and nothing else is taken into account.When you select a window treatments it is important for it to look good, but it is even more important that it acts as an efficient barrier to help your windows. Window treatments that create a second barrier keep your heated or cooled air (depending on the season) inside your house better, and keeps the unwanted cold or hot air (and sun) on the outside where it belongs. This leads to lower utility bills because your heater or air conditioner won’t have to keep kicking on to keep your house the temperature you set on your thermostat.When you are looking for window treatments, choose ones that are thick enough to block the sun and large enough to cover your entire window.Better Bills with Energy-efficient WindowsIf you don’t have energy-efficient windows already, your next best step in changing the cycle of high utility bills is to get them installed. Energy-efficient windows are like having a regular window and a good window treatment all wrapped up in one unit. Energy-efficient windows still provide you with views out of your home, but are an efficient barrier in keeping the inside of your home the temperature that you want it by blocking the exterior air and sun from getting in your home.Also just like with window treatments, energy-efficient windows come in many different materials. Three of the best energy-efficient windows that you can have installed in your home right now are ones with High Performance Low-E4 glass, High Performance Low-E4 SmartSun glass and High Performance Low-E4 SmartSun glass.These high performance glasses are more efficient and block more UV rays than regular energy-efficient windows. However, any energy-efficient window that you can have installed in your home is better than windows that are not energy-efficient, and will go a long ways in getting that utility bill lower during the winter and the summer.