Stay warm without heating: how much do you really save with an electric heated blanket?

We all want it: to stay comfortably warm at home without the energy bill going through the roof. Especially during the winter months, it’s tempting to turn up the thermostat a few degrees – but that immediately impacts your gas consumption. Fortunately, there are smart and energy-efficient alternatives.

One of the most effective solutions? The electric heated blanket.

In this blog post, we explain how much electricity a blanket uses, what you can save by turning down the heating, and how you can save a lot of money (and gas) with targeted heat – without sacrificing comfort.

The traditional situation: heating at 20 degrees

In many homes, the thermostat in the living room is set to 20°C by default during the winter. Nice and comfortable, but that comes at a price – especially if you heat with gas.

Let’s take as a starting point:

• An average terraced house

• Heating at 20°C between 5pm and 11pm (6 hours per day)

• A gas consumption of approximately 1 m³ per 2 degrees increase per hour (depending on insulation and house size)

• A gas price of €1.29 per m³

Then heating just the living room in the evening quickly costs between €2.00 and €3.50 per day in gas. That adds up.

The smart solution: turn down the heating, add a blanket

A common and effective choice is to turn down the heating by one or two degrees and heat yourself in a targeted manner.

With an electric heated blanket or heating mat you can keep your body comfortably warm – without having to heat the entire room.

For example:

• Instead of setting the thermostat at 20°C, set it at 18°C or even 17°C.

• You use an electric heated blanket of 120 watts (or 160 watts for an XL model)

• Only during the evenings: from 5pm to 11pm (6 hours per day)

What does an electric blanket really consume?

Let’s calculate it:

Power consumption standard blanket (120 watts)

• 120 watts = 0.12 kWh per hour

• 6 hours per day = 0.72 kWh per day

• Electricity price: €0.29 per kWh
  → Daily cost: €0.21

Power consumption XL blanket (160 watts)

• 160 watts = 0.16 kWh per hour

• 6 hours per day = 0.96 kWh per day
  → Daily cost: €0.28

Compare that with gas consumption of €2 to €3.50 per evening, and you can immediately see how much cheaper an electric heated blanket is.

How much do you save if you turn down the heating by 2 degrees?

Lowering your thermostat by 1 degree saves an average of 6 to 7% on your gas consumption annually. If you consistently lower it by 2 or even 3 degrees, that saving quickly increases to 12 to 20% or more.

A calculation example:

• Average annual gas consumption in a terraced house: ±1,200 m³

• 15% savings at 2–3 degrees lower: ±180 m³ less gas consumption

• Gas price: €1.29 per cubic meter
  → Savings: €232 per year

And that’s without taking into account cold days when you might want to heat for longer or heat more rooms.

Add to that your low power consumption (± €75 per year when using the blanket daily), and you’ll still save over €150 per year – and you’ll be just as warm.

Additional benefits of an electric heated blanket

In addition to the direct savings, targeted heating has even more advantages:

• Fast heat: You will feel the effect within minutes.

• Even heat distribution: No cold zones as with heating.

• Soft and comfortable: Most blankets are made of fleece or microplush.

• Safe to use: Automatic switch-off, multiple heat settings and low energy consumption.

• Flexible: Can be used on the couch, in bed, at your desk or even in a cold attic room.

And the best part: you don’t have to compromise on your comfort, even if you turn the thermostat down considerably.

And what if you’re home alone?

Maybe you live alone, or are often the only one home during the day. Then it makes even more sense not to heat the whole house for just one person. A heated blanket or foot warmer will keep you warm – without having to turn on radiators in empty rooms.

Also consider:

• Home workers in the attic

• Elderly people with a fixed seat

• Students in rooms with single glazing

Wherever space heating is expensive or inefficient, personal heating offers the smartest solution.

Quick comparison at a glance