Freckles wrote:

Our electric bill just been increased to nearly double what it used to be.

The heating and cooling is what eats up most of the electricity.

Will thermal curtains or drapes help to reduce the heating and cooling
enough to make buying and hanging them worth the effort?

Thanks

Not enough info. It depends upon the number of windows that you have,
their sizes, their locations, how well they are sealed, what type, and
how much you plan on spending on the curtains. Even with that info the
only way to know is to try it, and even then you would have to keep
precise records of electric usage and average outdoor conditions both
previous to and after hanging the curtains, over a period of several
years. IOW your question isn't as simple as yes or no.

There are many ways to reduce electrical consumption. Here's a starting
point:

http://www.wbdg.org/ccb/DOE/TECH/doe_v2.pdf

Just one of infinite articles on the subject to be found on the web.
IMO it's probably a better option, if possible, to simply get a higher
paying job

Richard Perry