Space heater vs electric blanket: which costs less to run?
$310 a year less with electric blanket
- Space heater, a month
- $66.94
- Electric blanket, a month
- $4.46
- Difference, a month
- $62.48
Both run 8 hours a day, November to March. At the US average of 18.3¢ per kWh (EIA, June 2026). How we calculate this
Side by side
| Space heater | Electric blanket | |
|---|---|---|
| Power | 1,500 W | 100 W |
| An hour | $0.28 | $0.02 |
| A day | $2.20 | $0.15 |
| A month | $66.94 | $4.46 |
| A year | $332.32 | $22.15 |
| Energy a year | 1,812 kWh | 121 kWh |
In the 10 largest states
Questions
Is it cheaper to run a space heater or an electric blanket?
Electric blanket costs $310.17 less a year ($62.48 a month) at the US average rate. Both run 8 hours a day, November to March.
How much more does space heater cost to run?
About 15.0 times as much: $332.32 a year versus $22.15.
How much does a space heater cost per hour?
$0.28 an hour, against $0.02 an hour for an electric blanket, at 18.3¢ per kWh.
Does the answer change by state?
The ratio between the two stays the same everywhere because both use the same electricity; the dollar gap grows where rates are higher. See the table of the 10 most populous states above.
Sources
- Virginia Cooperative Extension: Estimating appliance and home electronic energy use (reproduces U.S. Department of Energy sample wattages)
- Penn State EGEE 102: Typical range of power consumption (wattage)
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: average price of electricity to ultimate customers, residential, June 2026 Figures transcribed from republications of this table on September 26, 2026; pending direct verification from the EIA API.
Usage assumptions (hours a day, season) are ours and listed on the methodology page. Found an error? Tell us.