In short, the answer is yes. Blinds, draperies, and window treatments are an effective method for cutting heating and cooling bills, regulating the temperature of your home, and enhancing its overall appearance.
The use of blinds and curtains can help keep your house cool by absorbing the sunlight and they offer insulation and warmth when they are completely closed.
Closing window blinds can also save energy in the winter. During cold winter nights, heat is lost through windows. Closing the blinds adds some insulation to the windows, reducing heat loss during cold periods. Some blinds also reflect heat back into the room.
The clever use of blinds, curtains, and other window treatments can help keep your house cool and your bills in check. The Department of Energy says the smart management of window coverings can reduce heat gain by up to 77 percent. (And, as a bonus, these same practices can reduce heat loss in the winter.)
Cooler Air Today recommends installing blinds that prevent heat from entering the home during warm days as well as hot air from escaping the home on cold days. This was you can keep you home hot in the winter and cool in the summer without spending much on heating and cooling devices.
Curtains offer better insulation and soundproofing.
In warm weather, however, blinds beat curtains in energy efficiency. Because blinds leak more heat from a room, they also decrease indoor heat gain more efficiently in the summer, by around 45 percent, which can lower your AC bills.
Smart Home Cooling Tips. Close your blinds and curtains. Keeping your blinds closed during the day will reflect a surprising amount of heat radiating in through windows, especially during the time of day when the sun's rays shine directly on your home.
Window blinds—vertical (Venetian blinds) or horizontal slat-type (louvered-type)—are effective at reducing summer heat gain and reducing glare, while providing good daylight indoors.
Drapes, curtains and blinds enable you to control the amount of sunlight that enters the room. If you keep them closed completely, you can block the light and heat coming from the sun. You might want to consider window treatments with a light-colored or reflective backing as they are known to work best.