Window shades drastically lower Indiana home's energy bill

Fort Wayne, Indiana resident A.J. Patrick certainly is a man ahead of his time. According to The Journal Gazette, after the oil embargo of the early 70s raised energy prices, Patrick built his home to be as energy-efficient as possible and has now been reaping the benefits for 30 years.

"I anticipated the price of energy going up and up, and I didn’t want to be 'fuelish,'" Patrick told the news source. "I wanted a completely energy-efficient home."

While Patrick's 3,200-square-foot home looks like most others, last year he only averaged $95 a month on heating, cooling and electricity. One of the keys to Patrick's money-saving design is his use of solar energy. He uses the suns rays to heat the house's water by way of a copper absorber that sits under the shingles on part of the roof.

His house also features programmable window shades that he keeps closed at night in the winter in order to retain as much heat as possible.

Although it may be difficult to go to the lengths that Patrick does, imitating his window treatments hanging roman shades can save homeowners money on energy bills. Roman shades can provide homeowners with an inexpensive cooling alternative to air conditioning.