Why Insulated Curtains Make Such a Big Difference

Once the ceiling is insulated, windows become the biggest source of heat loss. Glass is a poor insulator, so windows are often the coldest part of a home and lose heat quickly.

Without insulated curtains:

•             Homes are harder and more expensive to heat

•             Families have to run their heaters for longer to get warm

•             Power bills increase

•             Living conditions become colder and damper

With insulated curtains:

•             Homes stay warmer for longer

•             Heating is more effective

•             Energy use goes down

•             Comfort improves straight away

This isn’t just about comfort, it’s about fairness and wellbeing.

Right now, tenants often have to pay to heat homes that lose heat quickly, resulting in living conditions that aren’t healthy, or purchasing curtains that may not fit their next home.

That’s not reasonable.

Providing insulated curtains is a practical way to:

•             Support healthier whānau

•             Reduce avoidable illness

•             Ease cost-of-living pressure

•             Create a more consistent rental standard

When homes are warmer, fewer people get sick, families spend less on power, our health system faces less pressure and peak energy demand is reduced.

Insulated curtains are a small change with wide reaching benefits, healthier children families and communities.

A warm winter for Melissa and her whānau

Melissa lives in Manurewa, Auckland, with her children. Before her rental received new curtains, her family faced a significant burden from winter illness.

“My daughters and I get asthma. In the winter it gets worse. It is an old house, so a lot of things need doing,” she says.

Melissa would love to own her own house one day. But in the meantime, she’s thankful her house has double-lined, full length curtains, installed by Habitat for Humanity.

“The curtains will help our home be warmer and cosier. Now when we put the heater on, the heat will no longer escape,” she says.

Melissa is one of the lucky ones.

While the house she rents now has curtains installed, many renters aren’t so fortunate. During winter, many renters face a constant battle to keep their house warm and dry.

They’re left with a suite of poor options. They can purchase curtains themselves – a significant (and unfair) investment in someone else’s asset.

They can use large amounts of electricity to keep the house warm – a significant cost burden.

Or they can rug up as best they can. In this scenario, they and their children often pay a health and wellbeing cost, rather than a financial one.

Best-practice curtains dramatically reduce the financial and health burden on families and individuals. A fact not lost on Melissa.

“We’re very thankful. Especially with a baby on the way, it will help keep my room warm as well as our house.”