The best window coverings to keep your house warm this winter

When we bought our Twenties house, we embarked on a programme of improvements and renovations which, I hoped, would include replacing all the rusty, draughty old metal-framed windows. However, having done the windows in the children’s bedrooms, we ran out of money, as one does. While the walls of our house have a U-value of 0.3 (the lower the better), the old windows, with a U-value of 6, allow heat to escape at a terrifying rate. Last year’s prolonged winter nearly killed us, and with my husband threatening to leave if the house isn’t warmer this year, I have been testing a wide range of window coverings, balancing out the triple requirements of value for money, aesthetics and draught exclusion.

'BlocOut’ blind £143

These opaque blinds fit snugly within vertical “runners” attached to the window frame. At the bottom of the blind is a rubber seal and brush similar to draught-excluder brushes on front doors. Tested for energy-saving potential by the British Board of Agrément (BBA), these blinds were found to have significant energy-saving properties, reducing heat loss through single-glazed windows by 43 per cent, saving around £180 a year on heating bills in a three-bedroom single-glazed house.

They’re reasonably straightforward to fit as long as you are absolutely pinpoint accurate with the measurement for the vertical runners, as they must fit the window frame exactly. I managed with only a few expletives. They’re perfect at night as they block out light as well as draughts, but need to be opened during the day to let the winter sun in, so they are not effective during the hours of precious winter daylight. The blind material is a little “plastic-looking” and maybe the next step could be to offer a more natural finish. See Bloc Blinds.

Draught exclusion: 4/5

Aesthetics: 3/5

Cost: 4/5

Interlined Roman blind £196

Aesthetically the most pleasing solution. I chose a pale fabric so the warm interlined blind allows sunlight through when closed. It fits more snugly to a window than curtains do and, as our radiators are underneath windows, avoids the problems curtains cause by allowing heat to escape through the window without getting into the room. The centre of the blind blocks out draughts, but there are still cool eddies around the edges and bottom. See Hillarys.

Draught exclusion: 3/5

Aesthetics: 5/5

Cost: 3/5

Removable plastic made-to-measure secondary glazing £72

This was a cheap and extremely easy-to-fit option. I measured the width and length of the windows, entered the details online and the “window” arrived the next day. It’s easy to fit, too – you just peel off the backing tape from the adhesive back edge and press to the window frames. There’s no problem with light getting in, and because it is in a bathroom over frosted glass, it does not require an additional window covering.

It is not particularly pretty, and there is slight cooling at the edges. I had to remove it for decorating purposes, and when I tried to replace it the adhesive had gone, so I had to stick it back with superglue – this is not ideal, and I know when I remove it again the superglue will take all the paintwork with it. See Eco Ease.

Draught exclusion: 3/5

Aesthetics: 3/5

Cost: 5/5

Interlined curtains with 'permanent’ glass secondary glazing £370

Quite an expensive option, and although theoretically I can remove the secondary units, they are pretty much permanent, as the wooden frames are screwed into the window frames.

Combined with interlined curtains they are thermally very effective, but they are significantly more expensive than the others.

The wooden-framed secondary units look better than standard aluminium-framed secondary glazing but, frankly, still look a little odd attached to period frames.

It is possible to buy new double-glazed windows for around the same price, but this is a good alternative if you want to retain period windows. Own carpenter and sewing.

Draught exclusion: 5/5

Aesthetics: 3/5

Cost : 2/5

New ultra-low-noise double-glazed window with fitted blind £750

“If I were a rich man…”, as the song goes, I would replace all my old windows with brand-new double or even triple-glazed ones. Twelve years in a draughty house nearly 100 years old have removed any romantic notions I once had about metal-framed Crittall windows, and I don’t care what the conservationists say.

We have recently replaced a pair of 12-year-old double-glazed roof lights with a U-value of 3 for a new set of ultra-efficient ones with a U-value of 1.3, and the difference is fabulous. Trouble is, until the children have been safely shepherded through university, we won’t be able to afford any more. See Velux.

Draught exclusion: 5/5

Aesthetics: 4/5

Cost: 1/5

New internal hallway door £350

We have installed a new door, with a double-glazed window, between the outer porch and hallway, as this was a significantly cooler area thanks to an ancient, leaky front door. Our carpenter bought a ready-made door, which he then customised with an extra panel of insulation and swapped the single-glazed window for a double-glazed unit.

This has made an enormous difference to the hallway, where our boiler thermostat is positioned, meaning the heating comes on less frequently as this area is significantly warmer than it was last year. Own carpenter.

Draught exclusion: 5/5

Aesthetics: 4/5

Cost: 2/5

Here’s hoping that the husband will still be around in the spring…