When you're keeping a close eye on household bills, it's natural to wonder how much your television is adding to the electricity meter. We build our TVs in Europe, and we'd rather give you a clear answer than leave you guessing.
The good news? For most homes, a modern LED TV is surprisingly inexpensive to run. Here's how to work out exactly what yours costs, using figures you can compare with your own energy bill, plus a few simple ways to keep those costs down.
What does a modern TV actually use?
Modern LED televisions are relatively modest users of electricity. The exact amount depends mainly on the size of the screen and how brightly it's set.
As a general guide:
- 24–32-inch TVs: around 30–50 watts during normal use
- 40–50-inch 4K TVs: around 70–120 watts
- Larger, brighter screens: typically use more power
Older plasma TVs could use considerably more electricity, which is one reason switching to a modern LED set can reduce your TV's running costs.
How to calculate your TV's running cost
Working out the cost is simple. You just need three figures: your TV's wattage, how long you watch it each day, and your electricity unit rate.
Wattage × hours watched ÷ 1,000 = kWh used
Then:
kWh used × your electricity rate = running cost
For this example, we'll use the current Ofgem electricity unit rate of 26.11p per kWh, applicable from 1 July to 30 September 2026.
Let's say you have a 100-watt TV that you watch for four hours a day:
100W × 4 hours = 400Wh = 0.4kWh
At 26.11p per kWh, that's around 10p a day, approximately £3.20 a month, or about £38 a year.
A smaller 40-watt TV, watched for the same four hours each day, would cost around 4p a day, or roughly £15 a year.
Of course, your actual cost will depend on your TV, viewing habits and electricity tariff. Simply swap in your own figures to get a more accurate estimate. You can find your current electricity unit rate on your energy statement or on the Ofgem price cap page.
What about standby?
Modern TVs use very little electricity when they're on standby, often less than half a watt. That means the old advice to switch every appliance off at the wall isn't quite as important for your TV as it once was.
That said, small amounts of energy can still add up across a whole household. If you're heading to bed or going away, switching the TV off completely is an easy habit to get into.
But when it comes to your TV's electricity use, the hours you spend watching it make a much bigger difference than standby.
Simple ways to reduce your TV's running cost
A few straightforward choices can help keep your electricity use down:
- Choose the right size for your room. A huge screen in a small bedroom or kitchen uses more power than necessary. A smaller Cello TV can be a more practical and economical choice.
- Reduce the brightness. TVs are often set to extremely bright showroom settings. Using a standard, home or eco picture mode can reduce power consumption while still giving you a great picture.
- Use built-in Freeview Play. Our Freeview Play TVs have Freeview Play built in, meaning you don't need a separate box taking up space and using additional electricity.
- Switch it off when you're finished. If nobody's watching, there's no reason to leave the TV running in the background.
When every watt matters
For most households, a television is a relatively small part of the electricity bill. But when you're watching your power consumption more closely — such as in a caravan, campervan or off-grid setup — the difference can be much more significant.
That's where low-voltage televisions can make a real difference.
We make 12-volt and solar-friendly TVs specifically for situations where efficient power use matters. Our work on solar-powered TVs shows just how far this technology can go.
The bottom line
For most homes, your TV isn't likely to be one of the biggest contributors to your electricity bill.
Choose a screen that's appropriately sized for your room, keep the brightness at a sensible level and switch it off when you're not watching, and the annual running cost can stay surprisingly low.
If you're looking for your next TV, explore our smart TV range to find a model that fits your home, with TVs designed and built in Europe.