Cut costs with AN ELECTRIC BLANKET

How much energy does an electric blanket use? We’ve worked out the running costs

We’re all looking for ways to reduce how much energy we use at home right now. And as the nights grow colder, keeping warm without being hit with a massive energy bill is becoming more and more of a challenge.

Electric blankets are the perfect winter warmer, making getting into bed extra cosy on a chilly evening, but are they a cost-effective remedy or responsible for pushing up our monthly bills?

How does an electric blanket work?

Electric blankets contain small electrical wires inside the fabric and when turned on, these wires heat the fabric. There are several types: an electric underblanket covers the mattress up to the pillow area; heated mattress covers reach across the entire mattress, but don’t have wiring under the pillow area; and electric overblankets can be added inside a duvet cover or used like a normal blanket.

How much does an electric blanket cost to run?

Every electric blanket will show how much energy it uses at full power with its wattage. This means you can work out how much it will cost to use per kilowatt hour of electricity. 100W = 0.1kw, so a 100W electric blanket at the 34p per kwh rate above would cost 3.4p to run at full power for an hour.

Are some electric blankets cheaper to run?

Electric overblankets, underblankets and mattress protectors tend to be similar

Go for an electric blanket with different heat settings so it’s more economical to have on for longer periods of time at low heat. Dual controls are also a useful feature, which allow you to adjust each side of a double blanket separately to save energy – ideal for when one half of a couple prefers a cooler setting or one is away and there’s no need to heat the whole bed.

Temperature sensors are another energy-saving feature that detect the temperature of the room and your body, and adjust the heat of the blanket to suit. This means it won’t use extra energy by heating up more than you need. ‘And look for an electric blanket with an auto shut-off timer so you won’t be wasting energy if you fall asleep or forget to turn it off,’ adds Jacqueline Townson.