You can get timers (try Canadian Tire) that will turn the block heater on when you want it to, same idea as an outdoor light timer for Christmas lights only can handle more power. Set for 2 hours before you normal start and the car will be very happy!
Excellent suggestion. I kept on reading the posts to see if anyone was going to suggest this. Yes, a timer is a perfect addition to the block heater and interior heater. We currently live in an apartment, so to avoid theft, I plug the timer on the other end of the line under my hood, and close the hood on the extension cable going to the outlet. If your start time varies every day, you can either get a timer that is easy to reset each day, or you can get a variable-day timer that you can set for the week to start at different times each day.
Advice from retailers and mechanics shows that block heaters are really only effective at 2-3 hours of use. After that, they are simply wasting power and using the heat element more than is necessary. You'd be surprised how much that little element adds to your power bill. Setting a timer 2-3 hours before needing to start your vehicle will help a great deal.
