Quick answer: an electric blanket costs between about 1p and 7p an hour to run in the UK. A 100W blanket on for 8 hours uses 0.8 kWh, which is about 21p a night at 26.32p per kWh, or roughly £38 over a 26-week winter.
Electric Blanket Running Cost Calculator
Results update as you type. Default price: 26.32p/kWh, the Ofgem cap for October to December 2026.
How to work out what your electric blanket costs
Running cost is the blanket’s power in kilowatts, multiplied by the hours it is on, multiplied by your electricity price:
Cost = (watts ÷ 1,000) × hours × price per kWh
For a 100W blanket on for 8 hours at 26.32p: 0.1 kW × 8 h = 0.8 kWh, and 0.8 × 26.32p = 21.1p. Prices here use 26.32p per kWh, the Ofgem price cap unit rate for electricity paid by direct debit from 1 October to 31 December 2026. Your own rate is on your bill and may be higher or lower, especially on a fixed or Economy 7 tariff, so change it in the calculator.
Electric blanket running costs by wattage
| Wattage | Per hour | Per 8-hour night | Per winter (26 weeks, every night) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40W | 1.1p | 8.4p | £15.33 |
| 60W | 1.6p | 12.6p | £22.99 |
| 100W | 2.6p | 21.1p | £38.32 |
| 150W | 3.9p | 31.6p | £57.48 |
| 250W | 6.6p | 52.6p | £95.80 |
Blankets rarely draw full power all night. Most have several heat settings, and lower settings draw less, so the figures above are an upper limit for each wattage.
Warm the bed first, or leave it on all night?
Warming the bed for 30 minutes on a 100W blanket costs about 1.3p. Leaving it on all night at full power costs about 21p. If your blanket is rated for overnight use, running it on its lowest setting after pre-warming keeps the cost close to the pre-warm figure. Set the hours in the calculator to match how you actually use it.
Electric blanket vs heating the bedroom
A 2kW electric heater costs about 53p an hour at 26.32p per kWh, so one hour of heating a bedroom costs about the same as 20 hours of a 100W blanket. That is why many households turn the heating down at night and use a blanket instead. You can compare heaters with our electric heater running cost calculator.
Safety and saving tips
- Check the label for overnight use before leaving a blanket on while you sleep.
- Replace blankets that are more than about 10 years old, damaged, or have scorch marks or worn wires.
- Lay the blanket flat and never use it folded or with a hot water bottle.
- Use the timer or auto shut-off if yours has one, so it never runs longer than you need.
Worked examples
- Pre-warming a double bed: a 150W blanket on for 30 minutes uses 0.075 kWh, about 2p. Doing that every night for a 26-week winter costs about £3.59.
- Two single blankets all night: two 60W blankets for 8 hours use 0.96 kWh between them, about 25p a night, or 12.6p each.
Frequently asked questions
How much does an electric blanket cost to run per night?
At 26.32p per kWh, a 100W blanket left on for 8 hours uses 0.8 kWh and costs about 21p a night. A 40W blanket costs about 8p and a 250W blanket about 53p for the same 8 hours.
Is an electric blanket cheaper than central heating?
For keeping one person warm in bed, yes by a wide margin. A 100W blanket costs about 2.6p an hour, while heating a bedroom with a 2kW electric heater costs about 53p an hour at the same rate. Heating the whole house with gas costs more again because it warms every room.
Should I leave my electric blanket on all night?
Only if the manufacturer says it is designed for all-night use, which usually means it has a low overnight setting and an automatic shut-off. Many people warm the bed for 30 minutes and switch off, which costs about 1.3p with a 100W blanket.
How do I find my electric blanket’s wattage?
Look on the label on the blanket or its controller, or in the manual. If only a range is given, use the highest figure for a worst-case cost.