How Much Does It Cost to Run an Electric Blanket in South Dakota? (2026)

An electric blanket warms you directly instead of the whole room, which is why it costs a small fraction of a space heater. Single blankets draw around 50 watts, doubles up to 200 on the highest setting, and most cycle down once warm.

A typical electric blanket (100 W) costs $0.015 per hour, or about $3.69 per month at 8 hours a day in South Dakota. Cheap to run

Hours used per day
WattagePer hourPer dayPer monthPer year
Low 50 W$0.008$0.061$1.84$9.22
Typical 100 W$0.015$0.12$3.69$18.43
High 200 W$0.031$0.25$7.37$36.86

Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 8 h/day for about 150 days a year (the heating season) ≈ 120 kWh per year.

One hour of an electric blanket (0.10 kWh) is the same electricity as

Electricity per year at typical use, on a log scale: #40 of 95 appliances, from least to most.

In South Dakota, with electricity at 15.4¢ per kWh (source: EIA Table 5.6.A, 2026-06), a typical electric blanket costs $0.015 per hour and about $18.43 per year at 8 hours a day. That is about 16% less than the national average for the US ($4.40 per month), because electricity in South Dakota costs 15.4¢ per kWh against 18.3¢ nationally. Each $1.00 of electricity buys roughly 65.1 hours of use.

How to lower the cost of running an electric blanket

Frequently asked questions

Is an electric blanket cheaper than a space heater?

Yes, by roughly ten to fifteen times. A 100 watt blanket for 8 hours uses under 1 kWh, while a 1,500 watt heater uses 12 kWh.

How much does it cost to leave an electric blanket on all night?

At 100 watts for 8 hours, under 1 kWh, so a few cents in most regions.

Do electric blankets use a lot of electricity on low?

No. On low most blankets draw 20 to 40 watts, similar to a bright LED bulb.

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Use the generic electricity cost calculator · Which uses more? Take the quiz