Heat setting
Blankets pulse their heating wires under control of the dial; higher settings keep them on more. Pre-heat on high for 15 minutes, then dial back — most warmth-per-cent comes from medium settings once you're under the covers.
Electric Blanket Cost per Hour
Updated July 2026 rate dataHeating & CoolingSourced from U.S. EIA — Electricity use in homes (end-use shares)
The dial matters more than the blanket: pre-heating on high and then backing off stores warmth in the covers for far less element-on time. Set your blanket's size and hours on below to see the figure.
Quick pick
EIA residential average, July 2026. Your utility's exact rate is on your bill.
100 W
40 W250 W
4 h
0.5 h12 h
Common setups
Live cost meter · running at your current settings
$0.00000
since you opened this page · 0:00 elapsed
0.10 kW · 0.0000 kWh burned
burn rate
$0.018/hr
24/7 ≈ $13/mo
Real-time math: 100 W × your state's rate, accumulating live. Thermostatically controlled units cycle on and off, so average use is usually below the flat-out figure.
Per hour
$0.018
Per day
$0.073
0.4 kWh
Per month
$2.23
12 kWh
Per year
$27
146 kWh
Run like this for a year and it adds about $27 to your electricity bill.
Energy: 0.4 kWh per day · 146 kWh per year, at 18.31¢/kWh (U.S. average).
How many watts does an electric blanket use, and what does it cost to run?
Wattage is the number that decides everything else. The table below runs the actual figures through this page's calculator at the U.S. average rate of 18.31¢ /kWh, so you can see the running cost jump as the load climbs. Change any value above and the whole page recalculates.
| Watts | Power draw | Per hour | Per month (4 h/day) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 W | 40 W draws 0.04 kW | $0.007 | $0.89 |
| 110 W | 110 W draws 0.11 kW | $0.02 | $2.45 |
| 180 W | 180 W draws 0.18 kW | $0.033 | $4.01 |
| 250 W | 250 W draws 0.25 kW | $0.046 | $5.57 |
Basis: July 2026 U.S. average residential rate of 18.31¢ /kWh (EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A). Your state's rate is applied as soon as you pick it above.
What changes the number
Size
Twin ~60 W, queen ~100 W, king ~130 W. A heated throw for the couch is smaller still at ~50 W. Bigger blankets cost proportionally more per hour but divide across more sleepers.
Auto-off timers
Modern blankets shut off after 1–10 hours for safety. That cap is also a cost cap: a blanket that quits at 2 hours costs half of one set to run 4 hours.
Cut the cost
Biggest savings first.
- Pre-heat the bed on high for 10–15 minutes, then switch to low or off for the night — warmth stored in the mattress and covers carries on.
- Pair with the thermostat 2–3°F lower at night; the blanket heats your body directly while the furnace rests.
- Wash per the label — kinked or bunched wiring both wears out the blanket and changes its draw.
- If the blanket is 10+ years old and the control clicks oddly, retire it: safety first, and newer controllers are more efficient anyway.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to run an electric blanket all night?
About 15–25¢ for 8 hours at the U.S. average rate (18.31¢/kWh) for a queen blanket, depending on setting. A month of nightly use is roughly $5. It is one of the cheapest ways to stay warm.
Do electric blankets use a lot of electricity?
No — 60–130 W is light-duty, similar to a bright incandescent bulb. Compare that with a 1,500 W space heater: the blanket delivers personal warmth at about a tenth of the power.
Is it cheaper to use an electric blanket or a space heater?
The blanket, every time — it heats your body directly instead of the room's air, so it needs about 1/10th the energy to deliver the same comfort while you sleep or sit still.
Sources
- U.S. EIA — Electricity use in homes (end-use shares)
- U.S. EIA, Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A — Average Price of Electricity by State
Rate basis: EIA residential average, July 2026 (retrieved from Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A). Estimates are for planning, not billing.
