Three electric blankets running every night for a month can cost less than a single wall heater running continuously for a day or two.
As temperatures plunge across South Africa, many households are bracing themselves for higher electricity bills.
Elevated power bills shouldn’t be a surprise given the colder weather ahead this week, and the coldest night so far hitting us last Thursday. However, a power bill that doubles or triples month-on-month is a shocker.
Electric blankets are often the first suspects when winter power costs spike, but the numbers suggest consumers may be blaming the wrong appliance, which is often quietly heating the room and chewing budgets.
A typical electric blanket costs about R21 a month to run if it is switched on for two hours every night. Even a household using three electric blankets would spend only about R63 a month on keeping beds warm.
