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How Much Does It Cost to Run a Television in the UK? (2026)
Modern LED and OLED TVs are efficient, but screen size matters. A 43 inch LED draws around 50 watts while a 75 inch OLED can pass 200 watts at high brightness.
A typical television (100 W) costs £0.026 per hour, or about £3.12 per month at 4 hours a day in United Kingdom. Cheap to run
| Wattage | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low (50 W) | £0.013 | £0.052 | £1.56 | £18.98 |
| Typical (100 W) | £0.026 | £0.10 | £3.12 | £37.96 |
| High (200 W) | £0.052 | £0.21 | £6.24 | £75.92 |
Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 4 h/day ≈ 146 kWh per year.
In the UK, with electricity at £0.26 per kWh (source: Ofgem price cap 1 Jul–30 Sep 2026, 2026-07), a typical television costs £0.026 per hour and about £37.96 per year at 4 hours a day. Each £1.00 of electricity buys roughly 38.5 hours of use.
How to lower the cost of running a television
- Turn down the backlight or brightness. This is the single largest factor in TV power draw.
- Turn off the quick start or instant on feature, which keeps the TV half awake.
- Use the built-in power saving or eco picture mode for everyday viewing.
- Switch the TV off rather than leaving it on as background.
In standby it draws about 0.5 W, which adds roughly 4 kWh (£1.14) per year if it is never unplugged.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to leave the TV on all day?
A 100 W TV on for 24 hours uses 2.4 kWh. Check the daily figure above and multiply by six.
Do OLED TVs use more power than LED?
At the same size and brightness, OLED typically uses a little more, especially on bright scenes.
Does a TV in standby use much electricity?
Under a watt on most current models, unless quick start is enabled.
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Cost by region
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