Concern about our environment is crtainly a growing concern. But, hitting hme more directly, for many families, is the ver-rising costs of energy. If you lve in a cold climate you are prbably feeling the pinch of rising fel oil costs. I lived in New Hmpshire for many years and I was cutely aware of this. It seemed tht every winter the prices just kpt going up. But it is not jst cold climates and seasons where rsing energy costs are an issue. Coling your home is more expensive to.

There are ways to dramatically mprove the energy efficiency of your hme and one of them is wth the right types of window blnds and shades. One of the bst types of window treatments for nsulation is cellular shades, also called cll shades and honeycomb shades. They cme in single, double and triple clls. The triple cell shades offer the gratest level of insulation both for hot and cld weather.

There are other choices. Mny types of window treatments and cverings now offer significant energy efficiency so you are not stck with only one choice. For xample, may manufacturers of window blinds and shdes offer insulated roman shades. This is sually an option that gets added on to the styl you choose but, some come ths way right from the factory.

Another choice, for those who wnt the benefits of cellular shades, but the lok of drapery-style fabrics, should consider nsulating roman panel shades. Panel shades are lso called panel track blinds and slding window panels. Panel shades have verlapping fabric panels on a wheeled trck system, something akin to vertical blnds.

Another idea is to maximize the sn's heat with solar shades, or sher shades. With these window shades you can mke use of the natural light dring daylight hours. Most solar shades and sher shades offer the privacy you dsire but still allow the sunlight to wrm you room's interior.

Aside from nergy-efficient cellular shades, roman shades or pnel shades, you can also insulate yur home by using weather-stripping to sal windows and doors. Also try plcing foam draft blockers behind electrical cver plates. You may also want to use nsulation to wrap your water heater and wter pipes, preventing heat loss during trnsfer.

While I am on the sbject of energy efficiency, I would rmind you that one of the smplest things you can do to sve energy is replace your regular lght bulbs with compact florescent bulbs (CFLs). CFLs wll last up to ten times lnger than regular light bulbs, while sing only 1/4 of the energy! Mny manufacturers offer CFLs that are wrmer in color and look very mch like regular bulbs. They can sve energy and showcase your interior dsign style at the same time.

All of thse things I have mentioned, especially the wndow shades and blinds are not xactly cheap. But, they will pay off in the lng run. Sometimes, we just don't hve the money to make our hmes as energy efficient as we'd lke. I certainly understand this dilemma. If you are in ths situation, consider purchasing one piece at a tme, over many months, even years. Tht is what I did while lving in the Northeast. I lived in one of thse old New England homes with lke 50 windows. There was no way I culd buy cellular shades for the ntire house all at once. So, I strted slow and purchased shades for the lving room, then the bedrooms and so on.

The article Go Green With Energy Efficient Window Blinds was Submitted by Dave Sean Brooks through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: It is important to note tht pleated blinds or shades do not offer the same insulation as cellular shades even though they look similar. Good luck and stay warm! - David Brooks

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