Electric blanket debate: How much do they cost – will they SAVE money on energy bills?

Winter weather is setting in and thousands of Britons are thinking about putting the central heating on to keep them warm at night. Especially with a strong dose of the flu making its way around the UK. 

But could you actually save money by flicking on an electric blanket rather than having your radiators on? 

Energy prices are variable, but in the current climate there’s hardly a penny to spare. 

Rather than using your household radiators to heat up a room, a heated blanket could be the answer to all your winter fuel issues. 

Using an energy-efficient blanket for two hours a day, every day for six months costs just £2.99, Which? have revealed. 

Even the least energy-efficient heated blanket the company tested cost just £8.06 to run for the same amount of time. 

In Britain the average energy bill in a gas central-heated home is approximately £1300, according to TheGreenAge. 

Of that £1300 – 70% is the cost of gas and of that a further 85% of this is for heating. That’s approximately £775 goes towards heating (£1300 x 0.7 x 0.85).

Using an electric blanket could shave hundreds off that figure. 

In December 2013, chatelaine of Burnham Westgate Hall, Lady Rawlings pitched the idea of electric blankets to the House of Lords as a “simple and practical” way to keep Britons warm for a fraction of the price of heating a home. 

She said:  “Have the Government considered as a simple, practical measure encouraging people to use electric blankets?

“They are the answer to many of the Government’s aims. They are very green as they use little electricity, and they reduce the need for so much heating in the home.

“They also make the home very energy efficient – ie, costing less – which is what the Government seems to have as an aim.” 

Of course, the money saving tip isn’t without its considerations. 

Although there are no known safety issues using an electric blanket and a memory foam mattress, Which? reports manufacturers often advise against it. 

And, regardless of what type of mattress you invest in, an electric blanket must not be left on all night unless it is specifically designed to do so.