Henry Carlson
During summer, people continuously use blenders, microwaves, air conditioning systems and other appliances without being too concerned about its electrical consumption. As these are only used occasionally, it does not make much of a difference to their monthly tabs.
Household electric bills are not much of a big deal until winter comes. The use of heaters is essential as no one can tolerate the cold 24/7 without a good and reliable heating system. This, itself, proves to be a big chunk of addition to your monthly dues, more so if these are to be used full blast throughout the entire night.
To lessen the burden in paying electric bills during winter, a lot of people have leaned towards using winter blankets. Winter blankets, also referred to as electrical blankets are effective in keeping the body in a stable temperature throughout tonight. But one question that arises for most people who use it are, how much does this add up to their electricity bills?
What is an Electric Blanket?
This delivers the same function ordinary blankets give. The difference only lies in how it works. Electric blankets come with electrical heating wires that make it possible to give the desired temperature of the user. There are different types of electric blankets and they come in forms of duvets, over blankets, throws, and under blankets. While all the other types are made to be used on top of the user, an under blanket is designed to be placed on top of the mattress, just beneath the bed’s bottom sheet.
Due to the electric blanket’s capability to provide ample heating for a person throughout the night, people started to purchase it over regular blankets. This is now considered a good form of investment for many especially during winter. A lot of users have no idea how much power an electric blanket needs to work, so we have prepared tons of useful information to give you an idea on how it does.
Understanding How Much Power an Electric Blanket Needs
Almost all electric blankets come with a tag of its energy detail, while these are considered reliable; we should be open to the fact that a lot of other factors affect its overall consumption. A good reason why electric blankets come with instruction manuals is that these are meant to keep you safe while using it. It also guarantees that you get its optimal function without requiring excessive loads of energy.
Here are a couple of other things to remember to make sure you get the best of your electric blanket. Handle it properly; avoid folding, rolling or bundling the blanket to prevent damage to its electrical wires and thermostat. Damage to any of this can lead to malfunctioning including the usage of too much electricity leading to overheating. It is also wise to note that this should not be used beside a cold window or area. This affects the thermostat, thereby requiring more power to keep the temperature on its desired range.
Electric Blanket Energy Usage
The best way to determine the energy usage of an electric blanket is to check out its rating tag and guidelines. Do know that all the approved electric blankets are to follow a stringent UL rating guideline. So it is safe to say that you may be looking at 40 to 50 watts in total. If you are to determine its kWh rate, you can say that it reaches 0.35 kWh for eight hours. However, this is definitely not ideal and recommended.
We cannot be sure of a specific amount or cost as electrical computation will depend on the charge made by your electrical billing company. But if you have an idea of how much it charges per kWh, then you can start by getting an average. If a winter usually lasts for ninety days, you can multiply it to the estimate of 0.35 kWh per day.
No matter what value your billing company may have, it is safe to say that it will not be much of an addition to your bill when you use an electric blanket during winter. Just like any other appliance, this operates in a way that does not eat up a lot of energy. With proper handling, you can surely eliminate the possibility of having spikes in your electricity bills.
Conclusion
Using electric blankets during winter can help keep you warm and lower your overall electric consumption. However, this does not necessarily replace the need for a good heating system. The fact that it helps can be a good idea especially if you are looking into cutting costs on your total electricity bill.
The key to maximizing this would be to get the right kind of electric blanket to use. With the number of options available and sold in the market, it is strongly recommended to go for those of high-quality. Read on the instructions and its make, check on its mechanism and make sure to get one that gives you the most convenience and function.
Electric blankets can last up to five years. Since it comes in different types, it is only right to know how they are used and the respective methods on how to care for it. Make sure to keep them properly maintained and stored. This significantly plays a role in the amount of power and energy it requires to work, not to mention the level of safety you get while it is used.
More on Blankets:
Electric heated blankets reviews
Reviews of the top 10 wool blankets
Henry’s first job was in the furniture and mattress industry as a sales associate. From there, he moved up to merchandising specialist for several years and then became an assistant manager. Working in the industry gave him access to a lot of products and also helped him gain in-depth knowledge.
