Are insulated shutters worth it?
Usually not for a shop with a glazed frontage, because an insulated shutter only works when it is down, and it adds £400 to £500 plus VAT up to 3 m. It earns its place on openings with no glass behind them, or where noise matters.
5 minute read. Last updated November 2026.
Are insulated shutters worth it for a shop?
Usually not for a shop with a normal glazed frontage, because an insulated shutter only does its job while it is down and the shop is closed. During trading hours it is rolled up in its box, and your heat loss is whatever the glass and the door allow.
They do make sense in some cases:
- The shutter is the only thing closing the opening, such as a counter hatch, a kiosk or a rear loading door.
- The unit is heated overnight, for stock or equipment.
- Rattle matters, for example with flats directly above.
A quick test helps. If the frontage already keeps the weather out with the shutter rolled up, an insulated curtain only adds a second layer for the hours you are closed. If the opening would be open to the air without it, the curtain is doing the work of a wall.
Foam-filled laths are quieter and warmer, but not stronger. An insulated curtain is a comfort product and not a security upgrade.
How much more do insulated shutters cost?
An insulated shutter up to 3 m wide costs £400 to £500 plus VAT more than a solid electric shutter at guide price.
| Width | Solid (plus VAT) | Insulated (plus VAT) | Extra (plus VAT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 3 m | £1,450 to £1,995 | £1,850 to £2,495 | £400 to £500 |
| 3 to 4 m | £1,895 to £2,595 | £2,395 to £3,095 | £500 |
| 4 to 5 m | £2,395 to £3,195 | £2,895 to £3,695 | £500 |
| 5 to 6 m | £2,895 to £3,995 | £3,395 to £4,595 | £500 to £600 |
All figures are guide prices. The extra column compares low with low and high with high. Remember that a thicker curtain makes a bigger roll, so a box behind the fascia may need more room.
How can I work out whether an insulated shutter pays back?
You can test the payback with your own figures, because a fair answer depends on your bills, your hours and your unit. We do not quote a figure, because it depends on things we cannot measure from a drawing.
- Find your heating cost for the months you heat the shop, from your energy bills.
- Work out what share of the hours in a week the shop is closed and heated. If the heating is off overnight, the insulated curtain saves little.
- Estimate what share of the heat escapes through the frontage when closed. Be cautious, because walls, roof and floor all lose heat too.
- Multiply heating cost by those two shares, then by the fraction you expect the curtain to cut.
- Divide the extra cost of the shutter by that yearly figure to get the payback in years.
Worked example, with made-up figures you should replace with your own: £1,000 a year of heating, 20% of it while closed and heated, 25% of that through the frontage, and a curtain that cuts that loss by half. That gives £25 a year. Against an extra £400 plus VAT, the payback is 16 years. Heating overnight or a bigger frontage changes the sum, so run it for your own shop.
Do building regulations require an insulated shutter?
Not in the ordinary case of a shutter in front of a shopfront, because the shopfront is the outer wall of the heated space and the shutter is an extra layer. In England, Approved Document L, Volume 2, Table 4.1, sets maximum U-values for doors and says none is set for display windows and similar glazing.
| Element (England) | Maximum U-value, W/(m²·K) |
|---|---|
| Pedestrian doors, including glazed doors | 1.6 |
| Vehicle access and similar large doors | 1.3 |
| High-usage entrance doors | 3.0 |
| Display windows and similar glazing | No maximum set |
A shutter that is itself the external door of a heated building is a different case. That applies to a loading door or a new unit with a shutter and no glazing behind it, and there the door figures can matter. Ask building control. In Wales the Approved Documents are published separately, Scotland uses the energy section of its Technical Handbooks, and Northern Ireland uses Technical Booklet F2, so do not assume the English figures apply there.
Which shops are most likely to benefit from an insulated shutter?
Shops where the shutter is the outer skin of the building at night are the most likely to benefit, and shops with a full glazed frontage behind the shutter are the least.
| Type of unit | Likely value | Why |
|---|---|---|
| High street shop with a glazed front | Low | The glass and door already close the opening |
| Counter hatch or open-fronted kiosk | Good | The shutter is the only closure at night |
| Rear loading door to a heated stockroom | Good | A single-skin door would be the weak point |
| Takeaway with flats above | Fair | A quieter curtain may be worth more than the heat |
| Unit left unheated overnight | Low | There is little heat to keep in |
If your shop is in the first or last row, spend the money elsewhere. If it is in the middle rows, run the payback sum above with your own figures.
What should I choose instead of an insulated shutter?
If your aim is a warmer shop, money usually goes further on the frontage itself than on the shutter. These are the items to look at first:
| Problem | Better first step |
|---|---|
| Cold draught at the door during trading | Door closer, door seals, or an automatic door |
| Cold glass in winter | Double glazing in the shopfront, where the frame allows it |
| Heat lost through gaps | Sealing the frame to the wall and stallriser |
| Rattling shutter | Service first. Worn guides and loose laths can often be fixed |
| Condensation behind the shutter | Perforated curtain, which lets air move |
A service will show whether a noisy shutter only needs attention, at a fixed price of £145 plus VAT per shutter. If you do want an insulated curtain, it appears as an option in the quote tool, or you can ask us whether it suits your opening.
Common questions
Are insulated shutters more secure?
Not by default. They are quieter and warmer, but not stronger. Security depends on the tested performance of the product.
Do insulated shutters reduce noise?
They are usually quieter in use and take some of the edge off street noise, but they will not seal an opening. We make no claim about a specific reduction.
Can an insulated curtain go in a concealed box?
Often, but it makes a bigger roll than a single-skin curtain, so we check the depth at survey.
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