At the U.S. average price of 18.31¢ per kWh. Your state's price changes these numbers; use the calculator.
Work out your cost
Change any number. The price per kWh is on your electric bill.
Starts at the U.S. average residential price, 18.31¢/kWh (July 2026, EIA, checked Oct 22, 2026). Month is 30 days; year is 12 such months.
The formula
cost = watts × hours ÷ 1,000 × price per kWh
Worked example: 100 W × 8 h ÷ 1,000 = 0.8 kWh a day. 0.8 kWh × $0.1831 = $0.15 a day, or about $4.39 over 30 days.
How many watts does a electric blanket use?
Most are rated 60 to 110 W. The exact figure is on the label on the back or bottom.
- The DOE-developed typical-wattage table (reproduced by Virginia Cooperative Extension) lists electric blankets at 60 W for a single and 100 W for a double.
- Current Sunbeam queen heated blankets (e.g. Brushed Fleece Queen, item 13702, and Microplush Poseidon Queen) are rated 110 W at 120 V; an older Sunbeam Microplush Queen listing is rated 100 W. Check the label on your blanket or controller for its exact rating.
- The wattage on the label is the maximum. Lower heat settings and the blanket's own temperature control cycle the heating wire on and off, so real use on a low or medium setting is usually below the full rating. A plug-in energy meter shows your actual kWh.
- Most blankets switch themselves off automatically. Sunbeam blankets and mattress pads turn off after 10 hours of continuous use (3 hours for throws), so even "left on all night" has a ceiling.
Cost at different electricity prices
| Use | Louisiana (lowest state)12.72¢/kWh | U.S. average18.31¢/kWh | New York29.90¢/kWh | California33.61¢/kWh | Hawaii (highest state)48.00¢/kWh |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-warm the bed (100 W), 30 min/day2 kWh a month | $0.19$2.29/yr | $0.27$3.30/yr | $0.45$5.38/yr | $0.50$6.05/yr | $0.72$8.64/yr |
| Single/twin (60 W), 8 h/night14 kWh a month | $1.83$21.98/yr | $2.64$31.64/yr | $4.31$51.67/yr | $4.84$58.08/yr | $6.91$82.94/yr |
| Double/full (100 W), 8 h/night24 kWh a month | $3.05$36.63/yr | $4.39$52.73/yr | $7.18$86.11/yr | $8.07$96.80/yr | $11.52$138/yr |
| Queen (110 W), 8 h/night26 kWh a month | $3.36$40.30/yr | $4.83$58.01/yr | $7.89$94.72/yr | $8.87$106/yr | $12.67$152/yr |
| Queen (110 W), 10 h/night (auto-off limit)33 kWh a month | $4.20$50.37/yr | $6.04$72.51/yr | $9.87$118/yr | $11.09$133/yr | $15.84$190/yr |
Per month (30 days) and per year (12 such months). Real use is usually seasonal. Average residential prices for July 2026 from the same EIA table. Your utility's rate, including delivery charges, may differ. Check the price per kWh on your bill.
Ways to pay less
- Pair it with a lower thermostat The blanket only saves money if it lets you turn the heat down. DOE says you can save as much as 10% a year on heating by turning your thermostat down 7–10°F for 8 hours a day. Overnight is the easiest 8 hours to do it.
- Pre-warm, then turn it down or off Thirty minutes of pre-warming a 100 W blanket is 0.05 kWh, which is under a cent at the U.S. average rate. Warm the bed on high, then drop to a low setting or switch it off once you're under the covers.
- Use it instead of a space heater, not with one A 1,500 W space heater on high for 8 hours uses 12 kWh (about $2.20 a night at 18.31¢/kWh); a 100 W blanket for 8 hours uses 0.8 kWh (about $0.15). Heating yourself instead of the whole room is where the savings come from.
- Dual control on a shared bed Queen and king blankets usually have two controllers. If only one person wants heat, run just that side. The other half isn't drawing power.
Safety. Plug the blanket straight into a wall outlet (no extension cord), don't tuck in, bunch, or fold the heated area while it's on, and don't use it with an infant, a young child, or anyone who can't feel heat or work the controls; check with your doctor if you have a pacemaker or other medical device (Sunbeam instructions).
Questions
How much does it cost to run an electric blanket for an hour?
About 2 cents. A 100 W blanket uses 0.1 kWh an hour, which is about $0.018 at the U.S. average residential rate of 18.31¢/kWh (EIA, July 2026). A 60 W twin is about $0.011 an hour and a 110 W queen about $0.020.
How much does it cost to run an electric blanket all night?
Eight hours at 100 W is 0.8 kWh: about $0.15 a night, or roughly $4.39 a month if you use it every night. A 60 W twin is about $0.09 a night ($2.64 a month) and a 110 W queen about $0.16 a night ($4.83 a month). Most blankets turn off by themselves after about 10 hours.
Does an electric blanket use a lot of electricity?
No. At 60–110 W it draws about as much as one or two old incandescent bulbs. Even every night for a month at 8 hours it's around 24 kWh on a 100 W blanket, compared with the roughly 899 kWh a month EIA says the average U.S. home used in 2022.
Is an electric blanket cheaper than a space heater?
Much cheaper per hour. A 1,500 W space heater uses 15 times the power of a 100 W blanket: about $2.20 for 8 hours on high versus about $0.15 for the blanket at the U.S. average rate. The blanket warms you rather than the room, so it's cheapest when you're in bed.
Is it cheaper to use an electric blanket or turn up the heat?
Usually the blanket, if you turn the thermostat down while you sleep. DOE says setting it back 7–10°F for 8 hours a day can save up to 10% a year on heating, and the blanket itself adds only a few dollars a month.
Is it safe to leave an electric blanket on all night?
Follow your blanket's instructions. Many modern blankets have overheat protection and an auto-off timer (Sunbeam's is 10 hours), but manufacturers warn not to bunch or tuck the heated area, not to use an extension cord, and not to use it with infants or anyone who can't sense heat or operate the controls.
Sources
- U.S. EIA: Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: Average price of electricity by state, July 2026 (released Sept 24, 2026). Used for: U.S. average residential rate (18.31¢/kWh) and state rates
- Virginia Cooperative Extension (Virginia Tech): Energy Series: Estimating Appliance and Home Electronic Energy Use (BSE-301), reproducing DOE's typical appliance wattage table. Used for: Electric blanket single/double = 60 W / 100 W; wattage × hours ÷ 1000 formula
- Sunbeam: Brushed Fleece Grey Heated Blanket, Queen (item 13702) product specifications. Used for: Current queen model rated 110 W, 120 V; 12-hour auto shut-off; dual controllers (page blocks automated checks; specs confirmed via search index)
- Sunbeam: Microplush Poseidon Heated Blanket, Queen product specifications. Used for: Second current queen model rated 110 W (page blocks automated checks; specs confirmed via search index)
- Sunbeam: Heated Bedding instruction manual (Sunbeam Canada). Used for: 10-hour auto-off (3 h for throws); safety warnings: no extension cord, don't bunch/tuck, infants, pacemakers
- U.S. DOE: Energy Saver Guide (2022). Used for: Up to 10% a year heating savings from a 7–10°F setback for 8 hours a day
- U.S. EIA: FAQ: How much electricity does an American home use?. Used for: Average U.S. residential customer ≈899 kWh/month in 2022