Concerns About Electric Blankets

I hate the cold. Let me rephrase that—I really, really hate the cold. I mope around much of the winter complaining about it. 

When I first heard about global warming years ago, like many others, I thought this to be an excellent prospect. Of course, after learning a little more about climate change related to global warming, I quickly changed my mind.

It's still a little brisk here of an evening, but with the northern hemisphere heading into the colder months, I thought it time to look at the topic of electric blankets in relation to the environment. If you're considering buying an electric blanket this year, hold that thought for a moment.

I was a little surprised by the electricity consumption of these blankets. Under normal use, they consume somewhere between 60 watts an hour for a single and 100 watts an hour for a double on average.

It might not sound like much, but let's do a couple of quick calculations to get an idea of the carbon-dioxide-emissions impact created by a coal-fired power plant in order to generate the electricity for a blanket over a season:

  100 watts x 8 hours = 800 watts
  800 watts x 90 days = 72 kilowatts
  72 x 1.5 pounds of carbon emissions per kw = 108 pounds

So, around 108 pounds or 49 kilograms of carbon dioxide associated with the use of each electric blanket over the coldest months of the year—each year. Now multiply that by the millions of people who use them, and the amount becomes really substantial.

Added to the greenhouse-gas emissions associated with electric blanket use, there are also these points to consider:

·         Plastic-coated wiring and other components

·         Use of synthetic fibers for the blankets

·         Health issues relating to electromagnetic fields

·         Initial and ongoing costs of electricity

·         Risk of fire, burns, and shock

Aside from environmental issues, the fire and burn risk is really disturbing. It's estimated that around 5,000 fires are caused annually by electric blankets in the United Kingdom alone. Electric blankets also present burn risks for the elderly and very young and others who may have problems registering pain or reacting to it.

When you dispose of your electric blanket, and for safety reasons that should be every 10 years maximum, many of its components will be around for generations to come, particularly the plastics.

If you're not quite ready to give up your electric blanket, some folks simply turn their electric blanket on around 30 minutes before snooze time and then switch it off once in bed. You could also consider using a timer so the blanket switches on only during the coldest parts of the night.

You don't necessarily have to sacrifice comfort in order to live a greener life, but these small choices we make collectively do make a huge difference to our impact on the environment.