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AWNINGS<br />
Alternative method<br />
Caribbean <strong>Blinds</strong><br />
has some<br />
alternative outdoor<br />
shading methods to<br />
help save you<br />
money this summer<br />
On 1st April <strong>2022</strong>, the energy price cap<br />
rose again by 54% (following an<br />
increase last October) as the cost for<br />
wholesale gas and electricity continues to soar.<br />
Energy bills are skyrocketing for many families<br />
across the country, with the typical household<br />
forecast to pay roughly £37.50 per week – as<br />
opposed to £25 per week before – resulting in an<br />
overall increase of nearly £700 per year*.<br />
Although this upsurge in energy costs will hit<br />
the UK especially hard during the winter months,<br />
temperatures are continuing to rise and the issue<br />
of overheating in the summer will only become<br />
more apparent as time goes on. No matter the<br />
type of property you live in, every measure needs<br />
to be taken to ensure your home’s energy<br />
efficiency is at its highest.<br />
Here are a few cost-effective alternatives to air<br />
conditioning which will help keep your home cool<br />
this summer:<br />
Overhangs & architectural<br />
features<br />
Overhangs are a key design aspect within any<br />
property as they play an instrumental role in<br />
keeping homes more energy efficient – not only<br />
during the summer months, but throughout the<br />
winter too. Designed to provide sufficient shade<br />
and shelter all year round, the right sized<br />
overhangs will effectively block sunlight and solar<br />
heat gains in south-facing windows and walls in<br />
warmer weather, whilst also shielding exterior<br />
walls, windows and doors from rainwater.<br />
Ensure any overhangs aren’t too large as this<br />
will cause unwanted shade in the winter months,<br />
making your home cold, gloomy and<br />
uncomfortable. Louvered overhangs are ideal in<br />
hot climates, however, in the UK, retractable<br />
overhangs may be more beneficial.<br />
Other architectural elements that can assume<br />
the function of roof overhangs and control solar<br />
heat gains are balconies and recessed walls,<br />
protruding ledgers, head casings and flashings, as<br />
well as arched stonework around windows.<br />
Trees & shrubbery<br />
In cold and moderate climates such as in the<br />
UK, roof overhangs are not as effective on east<br />
40 <strong>Blinds</strong> & <strong>Shutters</strong> • ISSUE THREE <strong>2022</strong><br />
continues on page 42
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