150W, pre-heat for 30 minutes
0.15 kW × 0.5 h × 100% × 26.32p = 1.97p (£0.02) a night. That is £0.14 a week and £0.60 a month.
Home & lifestyle · Energy costs
Electric blanket running cost calculator
At the Ofgem price cap rate of 26.32p per kWh (1 October to 31 December 2026), a 150W electric blanket costs about 3.9p an hour, or 31.6p for a full 8-hour night on its highest setting.
Enter your blanket’s wattage, heat setting, hours and electricity price for the cost per hour, night, week and month.
3.95pan hour for a 150W blanket on full at 26.32p per kWh31.58p for an 8-hour night
Work out your electric blanket’s running cost
Runs in your browser, with no run limit
Running cost
Per hour3.95p
Per night£0.32
Per week£2.21
Per month£9.61
Electricity used per night1.2 kWh
0.15 kW × 8 h × 100% × 26.32p = 31.58p (£0.32) a night
A week is 7 nights; a month is 365 ÷ 12 = 30.42 nights. The standing charge is not included (see below).
Per hour
Cost per hour by wattage at 26.32p
Cost per hour = power in kW × price per kWh. On full power (100%):
| Blanket power | Per hour | 8-hour night | Month of 8-hour nights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60W (example) | 1.58p | 12.63p | £3.84 |
| 100W (example) | 2.63p | 21.06p | £6.40 |
| 150W (CSE typical) | 3.95p | 31.58p | £9.61 |
| 200W (example) | 5.26p | 42.11p | £12.81 |
150W: Typical rating used by the Centre for Sustainable Energy (2022); yours may differ. Other wattages: Example only: replace with the watts on your appliance’s rating plate or manual.
Pre-heat or all night
Pre-heat vs all night
You pay for the time the blanket is on, so warming the bed for half an hour and switching off costs far less than leaving it on all night. For a 150W blanket:
| Use | Electricity (full power) | Per night, full power | Per night, 50% | Per month, full power |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-heat, 30 minutes | 0.075 kWh | 1.97p | 0.99p | £0.60 |
| Pre-heat, 1 hour | 0.15 kWh | 3.95p | 1.97p | £1.20 |
| All night, 8 hours | 1.2 kWh | 31.58p | 15.79p | £9.61 |
Check your blanket’s instructions before leaving it on overnight: some are designed only for pre-heating the bed.
Step by step
Worked examples
Nightly cost = kW × hours × heat-setting share × price per kWh. Weekly = nightly × 7. Monthly = nightly × 365 ÷ 12.
150W, pre-heat for 1 hour
0.15 kW × 1 h × 100% × 26.32p = 3.95p (£0.04) a night. That is £0.28 a week and £1.20 a month.
150W, all night (8 hours) on full
0.15 kW × 8 h × 100% × 26.32p = 31.58p (£0.32) a night. That is £2.21 a week and £9.61 a month.
150W, all night at 50% of full power
0.15 kW × 8 h × 50% × 26.32p = 15.79p (£0.16) a night. That is £1.11 a week and £4.80 a month.
100W (example), all night
0.1 kW × 8 h × 100% × 26.32p = 21.06p (£0.21) a night. That is £1.47 a week and £6.40 a month.
60W (example), all night
0.06 kW × 8 h × 100% × 26.32p = 12.63p (£0.13) a night. That is £0.88 a week and £3.84 a month.
Comparison
Electric blanket vs a 2kW heater
| Appliance | Per hour | 8 hours |
|---|---|---|
| 2kW oil-filled radiator (2,000W) | 52.64p | £4.21 |
| Electric blanket (150W), full power | 3.95p | £0.32 |
A 2kW oil-filled radiator uses 2kWh an hour (52.64p); a 150W blanket uses 0.15kWh (3.95p). Over 8 hours that is £4.21 against £0.32, about 13.3 times less for the blanket. A blanket warms the bed, not the room, so it is not a like-for-like replacement for heating.
Ratings: Centre for Sustainable Energy, “What uses watt?” (2022, PDF). For other heater sizes, see the electric heater running cost calculator.
Wattage
How to find your blanket’s wattage
Look on the label sewn into the blanket, on the controller or in the manual for a figure in watts (W). Dual-control (double or king-size) blankets have a control for each side: if the label gives the watts per side and both sides are on, add the two together. If you can’t find it, the Centre for Sustainable Energy uses 150W as a typical heating blanket rating (Centre for Sustainable Energy, “What uses watt?” (2022, PDF)), but yours may differ.
Your bill
Standing charge not included
Your electricity bill also has a daily standing charge: an Ofgem GB average of 54.83p a day on Direct Debit for October to December 2026. You pay it whether or not the blanket is on, so it is not a running cost of the blanket and this calculator leaves it out. Only the unit rate (pence per kWh) changes with how long you use it.
Source
Where the 26.32p figure comes from
26.32p per kWh is Ofgem’s GB average Direct Debit electricity unit rate under the energy price cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026. There is no VAT on electricity from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027. The cap rate varies by region and payment method, and Economy 7, fixed and prepayment tariffs differ, so use the unit rate on your bill if you know it. The next price cap period starts on 1 January 2027. Source: Ofgem, energy price cap unit rates and standing charges.
Ofgem’s energy price cap unit rates and standing charges page, checked on 23 October 2026, gives for electricity paid by Direct Debit from 1 October to 31 December 2026: “26.32 pence per kWh” and “54.83 pence daily standing charge”.
More calculators
Related running-cost calculators
- Appliance running costs calculator: Compare heaters, a radiator, an electric blanket, a dehumidifier and a heated airer at your unit rate.
- Electric heater running cost calculator: Cost per hour, day and month from watts and hours.
- Dehumidifier running cost calculator: Cost per hour and per laundry load vs a tumble dryer.
- Heated airer running cost calculator: Cost per load and per month.
- Oil-filled radiator running cost calculator: Cost per hour, day and month from watts, hours and thermostat on-time.
- Electricity cost calculator: running cost of any appliance from its watts and hours.
Helpful answers
Electric blanket running cost FAQs.
How much does an electric blanket cost to run per night?
About 31.6p for a 150W blanket on full power for 8 hours at 26.32p per kWh (0.15kW × 8 hours = 1.2kWh). On a setting that heats half the time it is about 15.8p. Enter your blanket’s watts and hours for your own figure.
Is it cheaper to pre-heat the bed than leave it on all night?
Yes, because you pay for the hours it is on. Pre-heating with a 150W blanket for 30 minutes costs about 1.97p; leaving it on full for 8 hours costs about 31.58p. Check your blanket’s instructions on whether it is designed to be left on overnight.
Is an electric blanket cheaper than a heater?
Per hour, much cheaper: 3.95p for a 150W blanket against 52.64p for a 2kW oil-filled radiator (the Centre for Sustainable Energy’s typical ratings), so 8 hours costs about £0.32 against £4.21. A blanket warms the bed, not the room, so it is not a like-for-like replacement for heating.
Is the standing charge included?
No. The daily standing charge (an Ofgem GB average of 54.83p a day on Direct Debit for October to December 2026) is paid whether or not the blanket is on, so it is not a running cost of the blanket.