How much does it cost to run an electric blanket?
We've pre-filled an typical electric blanket below. Set your electricity rate and adjust the hours to match how you use yours — the cost updates instantly.
An electric blanket looks like it should cost about the same as a space heater — both plug into the wall and both make heat. But the difference is what they're heating. A space heater warms a room full of air that keeps leaking its warmth out through walls and windows; an electric blanket only has to warm a few inches of space between you and the fabric, so it gets away with 60 to 200 watts instead of 1,500. That's roughly a tenth of the draw, which is why an electric blanket is one of the cheapest ways to feel warm in a cold house.
Run one at 100 watts for eight hours a night and you're using about 0.8 kWh — the same as leaving a couple of LED bulbs on all night, not the same as running a heater. The real cost lever isn't the blanket's setting, it's whether you use it to replace turning up the thermostat or on top of it: a blanket that lets you drop the whole house's heat by a degree or two pays for its own electricity many times over, while one running alongside a furnace that's already cranked up is just a few extra cents you didn't need to spend.
What drives the cost of running an electric blanket
- Wattage setting — most electric blankets run 60-200W depending on size (twin vs. king) and heat level, so a high setting on a king-size blanket can use 3x the electricity of a low setting on a twin.
- Hours per night — the electricity cost scales directly with how long it's plugged in and heating, whether that's a couple hours falling asleep or all 8 hours overnight.
- Your electricity rate ($/kWh) — since the wattage is so low to begin with, your local rate has more effect on the final dollar figure than most people expect.
How to cut it
- Use it to preheat the bed for 10-15 minutes before you get in, then switch it off or down to low — most of the cost comes from hours run, not from the heat itself.
- Drop the room thermostat by 1-2°F and let the blanket cover the difference — this is where an electric blanket actually saves money instead of just costing a little.
- Pick the lowest comfortable setting; dropping from high to medium can cut the blanket's own draw by roughly half.
- If you and a partner both want warmth, one shared blanket at 150-200W often costs less than two people each running space heaters or separate blankets at full blast.
Common questions
How much does it cost to run an electric blanket per month?
At a typical 100W and about 8 hours a day, an electric blanket costs roughly $4.08 a month at $0.17/kWh. Set your own rate and hours above for an exact figure.
How can I cut the cost of running an electric blanket?
Use it to preheat the bed for 10-15 minutes before you get in, then switch it off or down to low — most of the cost comes from hours run, not from the heat itself.
Is it safe (and cost-effective) to leave an electric blanket on all night?
Most modern electric blankets are rated for overnight use and shut off automatically after several hours, so the cost difference between running one for 2 hours and 8 hours is small in absolute terms — a few cents — because the wattage itself is so low. The bigger cost risk isn't the blanket, it's older models without auto-shutoff left on for multiple nights unattended.
Does an electric blanket cost more or less than turning up the thermostat?
Almost always less. Raising a whole house's heat by even one degree typically costs far more per hour than running a 100W blanket, because you're heating every room instead of a few inches of space around one person. That's the main reason electric blankets show up on 'how to save on heating' lists.
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