They can be a great complement to conventional heating systems and use infinitely less energy. When it comes to achieving a comfortable temperature at home to get through the winter, one of the options available to consumers if we don’t want to turn on the heating completely is to use electric blankets, an alternative that allows significant savings on the energy bill.
These devices are present in many homes due to their good performance, although not for all types of users, as they have a series of advantages and disadvantages that it is necessary to know about before acquiring one.
Electric blankets and pads, advantages and disadvantages
Electric blankets are ideal for warming the bed before going to sleep, for providing extra warmth to a recovering joint or for placing on the sofa while watching TV or reading a book.
Their main advantage is that they generate an instant and pleasant dry heat that can be easily regulated with the remote control included in the cable itself. They also have a low power consumption, and there are models that offer various levels of heat output, related to the levels of electrical power they consume.
Thus, we can find blankets that reach temperatures of between 30 and 70 degrees Celsius with consumption of between 50 and 150 watts in the case of the larger ones. In other words, on average it does not exceed 100 watts, which will allow us to keep warm for much less cost than with any home heating system, including heat pumps.
They are also a good option as a complement to a traditional heating system, which if we leave on we can turn down a few degrees to save energy thanks to the use of the electric blanket that will give us that extra bit of heat right next to the body without having to heat all the air in the room.
Another advantage is that they are portable, as we can easily move them to any room where we want to use them, and they are very cheap to buy, with prices starting at 20 euros for the small models.
However, not everything is positive with these devices, as there are a number of drawbacks that should be considered before deciding to use them. For example, the heat they produce is very localized and disperses quickly into the air if we do not cover the blanket with another cloth blanket, our clothes, a sheet or similar.
Furthermore, except for the huge models, normal-sized ones are usually for individual use, so if there are several of us at home, we will each have to have our own, which multiplies electricity consumption. Even so, adding up the consumption of all of them, they still use much less than the typical 1,500-2,000 watt electric radiator.
One of the most significant drawbacks, in my opinion, is that we are tied to the electric cable, limited by its length and the connector format it has. This cable tends to be annoying when we lie down and we have to be careful not to bend it, as it is one of the points where the blanket tends to get damaged more easily.
In general, these devices are not designed for long periods of operation, with ideal figures ranging between 30 and 120 minutes, so they are not usually recommended for being on for hours and hours as we do with classic heating systems.
Conclusion on this type of device? Well, electric blankets and pads are a good alternative to heating systems if we are only going to be at home for a while, for example at lunchtime, dinnertime, etc., and we don’t want to turn on a larger piece of equipment that will take longer to heat the house and cost much more.
Of course they are ideal for combating physical discomfort, aiding rehabilitation and providing extra warmth when needed without having to turn up the thermostat. However, it is not advisable to have them on all day.
