U.S. residential electricity EIA data: July 2026 US average 18.3¢/kWh Updated

Heating · South Dakota

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

The short answer

In South Dakota, an electric blanket drawing 100W costs about $0.02 per hour — roughly $3.74 a month if it runs 8 hours a day.

That’s based on South Dakota’s average residential rate of 15.4¢/kWh (EIA, July 2026), 16% below the US average.

Source: U.S. EIA, July 2026 data · Updated

Electric Blanket cost by daily use in South Dakota

Cost at 15.4¢/kWh, the South Dakota average (EIA, Jul 2026)
Daily usekWh/monthPer dayPer monthPer year
1 hour/day 3.0 $0.02 $0.47 $5.61
2 hours/day 6.1 $0.03 $0.94 $11.22
4 hours/day 12.2 $0.06 $1.87 $22.44
8 hours/day 24.3 $0.12 $3.74 $44.88
12 hours/day 36.5 $0.18 $5.61 $67.32
24 hours/day 73.0 $0.37 $11.22 $135

South Dakota vs other states

At typical use, an electric blanket costs $44.88 a year in South Dakota — $95.28 less than in Hawaii and $7.74 more than in Louisiana.

South Dakota has the 18th-cheapest residential electricity of the 50 states and DC. electricity prices in South Dakota · all states ranked

Electricity price trend in South Dakota

15.4¢/kWh in July 2026 — ▲ +5.9% from a year earlier.

How to lower the cost of running an electric blanket

Electric blankets and heated mattress pads warm your body directly instead of the air in the room, which is why they use so little power. Most queen-size blankets draw 50–200W on high and much less on low settings. Because you are only heating a few square feet, an electric blanket combined with a lower thermostat setting overnight is one of the cheapest ways to stay warm in winter.

  • Pre-warm the bed for 20–30 minutes, then switch to low or use the auto-off timer.
  • Turn the house thermostat down a few degrees at night — the blanket keeps you comfortable.
  • Choose a dual-control model so each side only heats as much as needed.
  • Winters in South Dakota are long, so heating appliances often run more hours here than the national default — adjust the hours above to match your home.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to run an electric blanket for 24 hours in South Dakota?

Running a 100W electric blanket for 24 hours uses about 2.40 kWh, which costs about $0.37 at South Dakota’s average rate of 15.4¢/kWh.

How many kWh does an electric blanket use per month?

At 8 hours a day, a typical electric blanket uses about 24.3 kWh a month. In South Dakota that costs $3.74.

Is it expensive to run an electric blanket in South Dakota?

South Dakota has the 18th-cheapest residential electricity of the 50 states and DC at 15.4¢/kWh — cheaper than most. Running an electric blanket here costs about $44.88 a year at typical use, compared with $53.47 at the national average rate.

What is the electricity rate in South Dakota right now?

The average residential electricity rate in South Dakota was 15.4¢ per kWh in July 2026, according to the latest EIA data — up 5.9% from a year earlier.

Is it cheaper to use an electric blanket or a space heater?

An electric blanket is far cheaper — about 100W versus 1,500W, so roughly 15 times less electricity per hour.

Sources & method