Households urged to close curtains from 5.36pm today

This is a great little money-saving hack.

The specificity of the time is for a reason, because when the sun sets, households can save money on energy by making sure their curtains are drawn.

With bills set to increase in the next couple of months, now is a good time to take a look at ways to cut your energy usage.

The new energy price cap, which comes into effect on April 1, will see bills rise by around £111 a year for many homeowners.

One way experts have advised people can cut their bills is the use of what Martin Lewis calls ‘tactical curtains’. 

The habit dates back to the Victorian era, but still holds up today as a useful way to keep the heat in and the cold out.

Speaking about the household hack, Lewis said: "Remember, curtains block the sun and they block the heat.

"Open your curtains when there's daylight, to let the sunshine in, which can provide heat in a room, then close them as soon as it's dark to make sure the heat stays trapped in your rooms."

The Money Saving Expert also suggested that adding "cheap fleece" to line curtains could further insulate rooms.

Today, the sun is setting at 5.38pm up in Leeds, and 5.36pm in London, but is within a few minutes of that across the UK.

The trick works because it keeps heat inside the house when the temperature outside drops, but allows sunlight to warm your house during the day before that.

According to reports from The Times, the government could reduce energy bill support by £34million just by asking households to close their curtains at sunset.

That’s because heat loss through windows accounts for about 30% of energy use in our homes, so keeping windows covered up when it’s dark makes an instant difference.