Checklist for blinds

To provide good insulation, your blinds should:

• have a snug fit with the window frame so that they create a good seal to trap the air in the gap between them and the window (if there are gaps around the blinds then their thermal effect will be minimal).

• specifically designed thermal blinds (sometimes described as ‘honeycomb’ or ‘cellular’ blinds) may provide additional insulation, but only if they can be installed without any gaps around them – which is hard to achieve in practice.