Electric Blanket Cost Calculator
Pick your blanket wattage - a throw runs about 60 W, a king 180 - set the hours and your electricity rate. The calculator gives the per-night cost, the whole winter total, and the ratio against running a 1500 W space heater for the same hours.
The verdict is not close: the blanket heats two square metres of bed while the heater fights the whole room, and it shows in the numbers - roughly fifteen times cheaper per hour. The honest pairing is both on timers: heater for the evening, blanket for sleeping, thermostat down where the real savings live.
How to use
- Find the wattage on the blanket label - controllers quote it too.
- Set realistic hours; most people run 8 with an auto-off.
- Compare against the space heater figure before touching the thermostat.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run an electric blanket?
A 100 W double blanket for 8 hours costs about 14 cents at typical rates - roughly 16 dollars across a 120-night winter. The king size doubles it and still beats every other form of electric heat per hour of comfort.
Is an electric blanket cheaper than a space heater?
By an order of magnitude per hour of personal warmth: the blanket heats the bed, the heater fights the whole room. The smart arrangement uses the heater for evening hours in the living space and the blanket overnight with the thermostat set lower.
Are old electric blankets safe?
Replace any blanket over ten years old, or one with kinked wiring, scorch marks or a controller that smells warm. Modern units have auto-off timers and sensors; the fold-dont-crease storage rule is what keeps the internal wiring alive.
Does an electric blanket use a lot of electricity?
Very little - it is a 60-180 W device, closer to a laptop charger than a heater. The season total for most users lands under a takeaway dinner, which is why the per-night figure surprises people in the good way.