As the weather gets colder, the temptation to whack the heating on full blast is real; however, with energy bills increasing by 2% according to the Homeowners Alliance, some householders will be trying to do everything they can to avoid turning the central heating on. Although some on social media have admitted they’ve already cracked and put it on as early as September, Martin Lewis recommends that you “heat the person and not the home” if you want to save cash, and it really does make sense.
Because of this, I’m mindful to pop a jumper on if I’m feeling chilly, or make the most of my Ugg slippers. But if at bedtime I’m still feeling cold, I’ll turn on my electric mattress topper.
Receiving one as a gift years ago was a complete and utter game-changer for me, and it’s made my evenings much more toasty. I’ve already used it this year! It’s also saved me money in the long run.
Confusingly, electric mattress toppers are often mistaken for electric blankets so, if you’ve overlooked the former, now is the time to consider investing in one. But electric blankets can be stunning to cosy up under, too.
I’ve had my electric mattress topper for a number of years now and, not to be dramatic, but I can’t imagine life without it. My original electric mattress topper was rather pricey, retailing at £119 from Dreamland in 2022.
Now it costs £124.99. However, if mine were to break (God forbid!), not only would I be gutted, but I’d simply be unable to justify such a high price point.
To make sure I had a backup mattress topper (just in case!) I decided to buy a Dunelm alternative for £30, which I didn’t have mega high expectations for before, as it’s significantly cheaper than my original.
The cost of running electric mattress toppers
According to Uswitch, electric blankets cost mere pennies to run continuously for an hour. The actual amount of electricity consumed and how much that costs you will ultimately depend on the blanket’s own heat settings, which usually range from 18°C to 56°C, and how long it takes to reach the desired temperature.
The most obvious use for an electric blanket is to warm your bed before you go to sleep, Uswitch shares.
There are several ways to do this, including:
- Turning it on to full heat 10-15 minutes before going to bed and then switching it off
- Putting it on at a low heat setting for up to 2 hours before retiring for the night, then leaving it on a minimal setting all night.
Most electric blankets consume no more than 300 watts, and some single blankets as little as 40W when on their highest setting. Their energy usage falls significantly when the electric blanket is switched to its lowest setting, making it possible to heat a bed for 7 to 8 hours a night for as little as 1p, or £3.66 a year, when the blanket is set to its minimum heat setting.
How much your electric blanket costs to run over an extended period depends on its energy rating, what temperature you set it to, and how long you use it each night. It can cost as little as £30 per year to run if you use it on the lowest setting, according to the July 2025 price cap.
My routine
I have nothing bad to say about my Dreamland mattress topper at all. It heats just half of the bed, meaning, if your partner prefers to be cold, then they can do their own thing whilst you’re toasty and warm. It prevents any late-night arguments – put it that way!
Compared to the Dreamland version, the Dunelm topper only has three settings, whereas its pricier counterpart has six. This made me a little apprehensive about trying the cheaper alternative, but I was determined to give it a fair chance.
I rather enjoy putting it on its highest setting (six) while I clean my teeth and do my skincare routine, so by the time I get into bed, it’s nice and toasty. While I read in bed, I’ll usually turn it down to a four, and then I’ll pop it on a two or three to actually sleep. Sometimes, I’ll just heat it up with a six, though, and then turn it off if it’s not that cold.
The Dunelm mattress topper has a less complicated-looking remote than the other, as it has fewer things going on, making it look more “basic”. But sometimes basic isn’t a bad thing. The remote also looks cheaper, but given that it can save you such a large amount of money, I’d say it’s a minor bugbear.
When unpacking the Dunelm option, I was feeling a little unsure. I was convinced that nothing could compare to my expensive model. Surprisingly, Dunelm went and blew me away with their £30 offering, and it wasn’t in the way I was expecting.
Trying the Dunelm mattress topper
Because my Dreamland blanket is in the main bedroom, I opted to put the Dunelm version in the guest bedroom and decided to spend a warm (but lonely) night in there to test it out to see what it had to offer.
As I would normally, I set the electric blanket on its highest setting and went to get ready for bed. I proceeded to tentatively peel back the covers and get in, and I was left gobsmacked.
It was toasty warm – not quite as warm as the other mattress topper, but it was definitely more than I was expecting. It may be £89 cheaper, but that doesn’t mean that it’s any less mighty, and it left me questioning whether the more expensive one was actually worth it. £89 is not to be sniffed at, especially as the cost of everything rises around us.
I decided to save my judgment for the morning; however, changed the setting to a two, and settled in for the evening. In the manual, one is low heat, two is medium heat, and three is high heat, so I was happy with a medium so I didn’t overheat during the night.
And, the medium heat was just fine throughout the night. I wouldn’t say it beat the Dreamland one, but it’s definitely functional and would be just fine to use daily – especially if you’re a mattress topper novice. The Dunelm topper seemed to heat up in fewer places than the Dreamland one, but it was easy enough to find the heat and get comfortable. Of course, there’s also the fact that this could save you a lot of money during the cold winters.
Thirty pounds may seem like a lot of cash to spend upfront, especially if you’ve never felt the benefits of the product, but you’ll save at least that in just a week of opting for your mattress topper, rather than keeping the heating on all night long.
Would you try a heated mattress topper? Let us know in the comments…