This article is for all those people who are concerned about global warming and want to make their home as energy efficient as possible. Cellular shades, also know as honeycomb shades, are an easy and relatively affordable way to lower your heating and cooling costs. This is good for you and the planet. More and more people are doing what they can by purchasing more energy efficient cars, replacing incandescent light bulbs with long-lasting florescent bulbs, adding solar panels and much more.

With the cost of energy so high these days, especially home heating oil, you may want to look into cellular shades. These shades, also called honeycomb shades have internal honeycomb-like cells that trap air. These cells are what make cell shades so energy efficient and, therefore, earth friendly.

These shades come in three levels of insulation: single, double and triple cell. Obviously the triple cell variety offers the greatest level of insulation and cost the most. But, the cost will be offset in the long run by the insulation benefits. This is true of any of the cell shade varieties. Consider them a long term investment.

Cell shades are also made for just about any window type, including vertical blinds, skylight shades and even for arched windows. So, if you wanted to, you could outfit your entire house. And, though energy efficient, cellular shades look great and are highly functional. Most come with advanced options like motorization, top down/bottom up and continuous cord so you don't have to give up any of the cool conveniences available in window treatments these days. They also come in a large spectrum of colors to match just about any décor.

There are also available models that offer substantial room darkening, sometimes called blackout cellular blinds. These are perfect for bedrooms, home theatres, really any room that you want to make dark.

I lived in New Hampshire for many years and I purchased cellular blinds for my entire house and I was glad that I did. It was a significant expenditure at the time but over many ling, cold winters I was glad to have them. And, when it came time to sell my house, the buyers were happy to see the energy efficiency of all those shades. I know these were one of the reasons that they ended up buying my house. The same holds true for hot climates, where insulation is still a major factor, just in this case it is about keeping the cool air in.

There are other insulated window treatment choices, though they aren't as energy efficient as cell shades. There are plantation shutters, especially the vinyl or composite variety. Pleated shades also offer some insulation but, again, not as much as honeycomb shades. If cell shades just aren't your bag, or if you don't want honeycomb shades in every room, you can improve the insulation properties of almost any blind, shade or drape by adding a lining. This is an option and will cost you extra. Again though, I would stress that a little extra expense now will save you money in the long run.