Homeowners living in historic buildings or period properties are often restricted when it comes to installing double glazing.
But according to the Edinburgh World Heritage (EWH) Trust, drawing curtains and closing shutters can be just as effective in retaining heat.
Homeowners could therefore improve the energy efficiency of their properties with a few DIY home improvements.
Indeed, hanging thick curtains, or fitting venetian blinds or wooden window shutters, for example, could go some way towards reducing heat loss.
Researchers from the EWH Trust used thermal imaging cameras to identify areas where heat was escaping from traditional Georgian town houses without double glazing.
Windows with closed shutters appeared in blue, while those without shutters appeared in red, indicating that heat was being lost through these areas.
According to the EWH Trust, a traditional flat loses more than 20 per cent of its heat through draughty doors and windows and another 20 per cent through ventilation ducts.
It recommended fitting weather-stripping and draught excluders to doors, windows, letterboxes and keyholes to prevent warm air from escaping and cold air from coming in.
Posted by Jenny Summer
