How much does a TV cost to run?
A typical TV costs about 10.5p per evening to run. At 7 evenings a week that is 73.7p a week, or £38.32 a year, based on 100 W for 4 hours (0.40 kWh) at 26.32p per kWh.
Adjust for your TV
Worked example
100 W is 0.1 kW. Running for 4 hours uses 0.1 × 4 = 0.40 kWh. At 26.32p per kWh that costs 10.5p.
Four hours every evening comes to £38.32 a year, so the TV is cheap to run for what it does. Dropping a large set to a more modest brightness setting would save part of that.
How to cut the cost
The biggest savings come from brightness. Use the eco or standard picture mode instead of the vivid shop-display setting, turn on automatic power-off, and switch the set off properly rather than leaving it running while you do something else.
Questions
How much does it cost to leave a TV on standby?
Modern TVs draw only a few watts on standby, which comes to a couple of pence a day at most. Switching off at the wall saves little unless the set is old.
Do bigger TVs cost much more to run?
Power rises with screen size and brightness. A 100 W set costs 2.6p an hour at 26.32p per kWh, and a very large screen drawing 250 W would cost more than twice that.
Other appliances
Electricity rate: Ofgem energy price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026, Great Britain average, Direct Debit, default tariff: 26.32p per kWh. Your own tariff and region may differ, so change the rate above to match your bill. Appliance figures are typical estimates; your appliance's energy label or manual is more accurate. Last checked 2026-11-03. Next review: January 2027, when Ofgem announces the next quarter's cap.