Electric Blankets - A Better Way to Keep Warm

Here at Reduction Revolution, we love cost-effective electric heaters. One such example is the humble electric blanket.

Many people leave a portable electric heater switched on overnight in their bedroom. These oil column heaters, panel heaters, or fan heaters can chew through up to 2,400 watts of power.

It turns out you are much better off using an electric blanket. Electric blankets use way less power (less than 140 watts) and keep you more comfortable. Please browse our range below or read on for more details.

Electric Blanket Power Usage (Wattage)

Over the years, we have tested many electric blankets using our power consumption meters. Electric blankets tested include:

• Dimplex Single, Queen, and King Size Electric Blankets.
• ALDI / Lumina Electric Blankets.
• Dreamaker & Sunbeam Sleep Perfect Electric Blankets.

We have found that most electric blankets on the market use a similar amount of power. All units tested top out at around 70 watts of electricity consumption per controller.

Some of the premium models with more heat settings can drop to a lower power draw on the lower settings (down to around 5 watts). And they give you more options between levels than the standard three setting units.

Here is a summary of our results:

* Typically only available on electric blankets with more than three heat settings.

^ If you have a dual control electric blanket and both sides are in use, total power usage will be double the amount shown above.

Example of the power usage of an electric blanket with three heat settings.

The power consumption varies from around 5 watts on ultra-low to 70 watts on high.

To put those numbers in perspective, you would struggle to sleep with an electric blanket on the high setting. Even the low setting can become 'too hot' if used overnight in a mild climate.

This means that the most power drawn by electric blankets is 140 watts when both sides are on the highest setting. The lowest power draw is when just one side is on ultra-low (~5 watts).

How Using an Electric Blanket Can Save You Money

What all this means in practical terms is that using an electric blanket can save you money.

Here's a real-world example showing how a fan heater compares to an electric blanket. Both heaters are used for 30 minutes to 'pre-heat' the room (or bed) in this scenario.

• 1,800 watt fan heater for half an hour = 0.9 kWh
• 100 watt electric blanket for half an hour = 0.05 kWh
• That's a reduction of over 90% in energy usage and cost!