In recent years, electric blankets have been trending amongst people who want to stay warm without relying on their central heating. They can be a great option for keeping yourself cosy, or for helping to alleviate pain or discomfort. However, despite their popularity, are there any actual financial benefits to investing in an electric blanket? Are they cheaper than central heating? In this article, we will delve into everything you need to consider when buying your own electric blanket.
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What are the different types of electric blankets?
You may be surprised at how many different types of electric blankets there are, all of which can help support different needs and use different amounts of energy. Our retailers stock a wide variety of electric blankets as part of our heating range!
Standard electric blankets can come in different sizes including single, double and king size. The amount of energy these use depends on the size of the blanket but on average these blankets consume between 40 and 150 watts.
An electric throw is more versatile than heated blankets because you can use them in more locations such as your bedroom, living room and office. Again, the energy these use is dependent on the size of the throw, but they typically use between 40 and 150 watts. This is also the same case with electric underblankets.
For more specific heat targeting, heated shawls are much smaller than electric blankets but provide direct heat to your shoulders and back. These typically use around 120 watts of energy. For even more specific heat targeting, electric heated pads can be used all over your body and due to their small size, they only use up around 100 watts of energy.
What factors determine the running costs of electric blankets?
It’s important to consider that different features of your electric blanket will factor into the overall running costs. These factors can include:
- Energy tariffs: certain energy tariffs mean that you’ll pay less to use your blanket at nighttime, for example, Economy 7.
- The temperature setting you use: lower settings use less electricity.
- Energy rating: the energy rating is the maximum amount of energy that your blanket uses when it is running on its highest temperature.
- Automatic temperature adjustments: if your blanket has a thermostat built in, it will only switch on when needed to maintain the temperature you have set it at.
- Timer: a built-in timer in your blanket allows you to shut the blanket off at a set time, allowing you to fall asleep without worrying about leaving it on all night.
- Blanket size: bigger blankets usually tend to eat up more energy because they need to cover a larger area.
- Age and condition: older electric blankets may not be as energy efficient as more recent models. Over time, heating elements can deteriorate, causing the blanket to use more energy than necessary.
How much do heated blankets cost to run?
Most electric blankets cost only pennies to run for extended periods of time. Overall, the most you could pay if you used your blanket to heat your bed for 8 hours a night on the maximum setting would be*:
- 40 watts: 8p per night or £29 per year
- 90 watts: 18p per night or £64.50 per year
- 150 watts: 30p per night or £109 per year
- 250 watts: 50p per night or £181 per year
However, it’s important to remember that these costs can be reduced. If you turn the temperature of the blanket down it can reduce the running costs as energy usage tends to fall significantly when blankets are switched to their lowest heat setting. These costs are also calculated for the maximum temperature for eight hours, so if you put it on the highest temperature for fewer hours, the costs will work out cheaper.
With the annual costs, it’s also important to remember that these are calculated based on an individual using their blanket every day of the year which, in most cases, is unlikely, especially during the warmer summer months. Therefore, for most households, these costs will be even less than calculated.
If you want to calculate the exact energy costs for your electric blankets, you need to find out the blanket’s power rating, which is shown on the product label, product manual or on the specifications. You then need to multiply the power rating (wattage) by the number of hours you switch the blanket on, multiplied by how much you pay per unit rate of electricity. You can find this figure on your electricity bills.
- Please note that these costs are based on the January 2025 price cap (24.86p/kWh for electricity).
Electric blankets vs Central heating - which is cheaper?
Overall, electric blankets are significantly cheaper than central heating. This is because electric blankets only heat a small area around you, rather than heating your entire house. In a house with good insulation, your boiler typically costs around £1.50 an hour to heat your home, based on a 24kW gas boiler and the January 2025 price cap of 6.34p/kWh for gas. This is significantly more expensive than the costs associated with electric blankets.
Does this mean you should ditch your central heating altogether? No, your central heating is still really important for preventing damp, mould and even frozen pipes in your house during cold snaps. Therefore, you should aim to have your heating turned down low, no less than 14°C to make sure that your home is kept dry. When it comes to heating yourself, however, electric blankets are a great option to keep you toasty.
Fair for You - Helping you keep your energy costs down
Thinking about purchasing your own heated blanket? Our retailers at Fair for You stock several electric blankets that are perfect for keeping you warm. What’s more, you can even get these blankets on our flexible repayment plans that suit your budget and lifestyle!
At Fair for You, we are committed to helping you save as much money and energy as you can. That’s why we have a range of different articles on our blog discussing a whole array of different subjects and topics.