Ordinary Shades, Curtains can be Serious Money Savers
 Sunlight shining through a window can heat up the part of the room it hits nicely--just ask any cat. Use this knowledge to your advantage.
If you are shivering in January in northern climes, you want to open curtains and shades on south, west and east-facing windows in your house during the day to get as many rays as possible to heat up your house or apartment. Be sure to close them when the sun goes down, though, to keep heat inside.
On the flip side, if you want to keep it cool inside on a 90-degree day, close the shades and drapes to block the sun's rays.
Insulated drapes put an added barrier between your home and the great outdoors. Even more savings are created by shades or insulated drapes with tracks that keep drafts from coming in around the edges.
A little tip on getting the most out of the sun's heat: wash the windows so there is no dirt to block the rays. Actually, if you're sort of lazy, you really only need to wash the windows facing south, west and east. I suppose if you are exceptionally lazy and live in the tropics you could leave all the windows dirty to keep warmth out. But don't tell your in-laws that I told you to do this.
| 
