Electric blankets may help you save money on your gas bill by heating just your bed instead of the whole bedroom.

How much money one costs to run depends on a number of factors, including what setting you have it on for, what its wattage is and what the current rate for electricity is.Most modern electric blankets – and each one we tested here – can be machine-washed and some can even be tumble-dried. Even better, this heated blanket is super energy efficient to run. You can heat your bed for as little as 3p* per hour for a comfortable sleep when the nights turn cold.

SLEEP SAFE: This electric blanket features overheat protection and is BEAB approved for added peace of mind.It’s simple but effective, heating up in about 30 minutes and staying warm until we’d dropped off to sleep, and we liked the raised marking on the controls (useful for when fumbling in the dark to switch it off). There’s dual control for each side of the bed on sizes double and up, and you can set different temperatures for your body and feet areas, with the heat settings from 1-9. We didn’t notice an auto shut-off function but you can set it on a timer, between 1-9 hours.

Even better, this heated blanket is super energy efficient to run. You can heat your bed for as little as 5p* per hour for a comfortable sleep when the nights turn cold. This electric under blanket from Russell Hobbs is the perfect companion to keep you cosy in those colder months without having to turn on your heating. Made with soft Sherpa fleece for extra warmth and comfort, this blanket is designed to keep you toasty on even the coldest of winter nights. Thanks to rapid heat-up times, you won’t ever have to wait long to warm up.Unlike electric throws, which are designed to be laid on top of the bed or snuggled up with on the sofa, electric blankets lay flat on your bed underneath your sheet. They contain lots of thin wires inside the fabric; the blanket is then connected to the mains electricity to gently heat up the entire bed. A good fabric for the price, and made from a sort of dense, felt-like fleece, making it a little warmer than cotton or regular polyester blankets, and it fastens to the mattress with two large elastic straps at the top and bottom. Pros: Wireless, uses infra-red technology so no heat is lost, looks great, useful if working from home A fairly standard design, with corner straps, three heat settings and made from a quilted polyester material (great if you find that the fleecy fabrics make you feel too clammy). Once on, it doesn't quite reach the sides of the mattress, which although this means that it lays completely flat, there are cold spots at the edges.

MACHINE WASHABLE: Machine washable at 40°c, simply disconnect the control and follow the instructions provided. Not technically an electric blanket, but we couldn’t resist including this luxurious heated pad, designed to be draped over a chair, which has seriously improved our working-from-home experience during this cold weather (once we could pry it out from underneath our feline tester, that is…). We also found that the cable connector fell in an awkward position on the blanket, sitting either under our pillow or under our feet, and we could feel it when lying down. There’s a choice of 6 heat settings to help you find your optimum temperature, as well as an LED display for easy programming. The auto shut-off will turn your blanket off after 10 hours, just in case you forget and to ensure a sounder night’s sleep. Plus, there is a handy beep when the blanket is turned on, off and at each heat setting change to maximise your awareness and safety.MACHINE WASHABLE: Machine washable at 40°c, simply disconnect the control and follow the instructions provided It’s also potentially the most cost-effective of the lot, with Silentnight claiming this costs just 1p in electricity to heat up your bed.