How Much Electric Does
a TV on Standby Use?
TV standby is one of the smaller line items on a UK bill but it runs 20+ hours a day. The honest 2026 figure is roughly £1 to £7 per year per TV depending on how the standby mode is configured.
A modern UK TV draws 0.5 to 3 watts in standby. At the current Q2 2026 Ofgem unit rate of 24.7p per kWh that means roughly 0.01p per hour or £1 to £7 per year per TV depending on standby behaviour. Old plasma plus pre-2010 LCD TVs can draw 5 to 15W in standby costing £11 to £33 per year. Smart TVs with quick-resume features sit at the upper end of the modern range. Multi-TV households can pay £5 to £25 per year on combined standby across all sets.
The figures that matter
Modern TV standby
UK TVs sold since 2013 must comply with EU/UK standby regulations limiting draw.
Older TV standby
Pre-2010 plasma plus early LCD TVs. Quick-resume features add to the figure.
Hourly cost
Modern TV in standby. Negligible per hour but cumulative across 20 hours daily.
Per TV
Annual cost per modern UK TV at typical 20 hour daily standby.
Four things to consider
Quick-resume costs more
Smart TVs with quick-resume sit at the upper end of standby draw. Disable in settings if not used.
Old TVs are worst
Pre-2010 TVs drawing 5 to 15W in standby cost 5 to 30 times more than modern equivalents.
Multi-TV homes add up
Three TVs at 2W standby each costs £13 per year combined just on phantom draw.
Switched extension wins
Plug into a switched extension lead. Off at the wall means zero standby draw across all connected devices.
Why TV standby costs so little but still matters
UK plus EU standby regulations have made modern TVs very efficient on standby. Sets sold since 2013 must draw under 0.5W on basic standby plus under 3W on smart-feature standby. Pre-2010 TVs were not subject to the same limits plus often drew 5 to 15W in standby.
Real numbers at 24.7p per kWh (Q2 2026 Ofgem cap):
- Modern TV at 0.5W standby for 20 hrs daily: 3.65 kWh per year, roughly 90p per year.
- Modern smart TV with quick-resume at 2W standby: 14.6 kWh per year, roughly £3.61.
- Modern TV with maxed standby features at 3W: 21.9 kWh per year, roughly £5.41.
- Pre-2010 LCD or plasma at 8W standby: 58.4 kWh per year, roughly £14.43.
- Pre-2005 CRT or early plasma at 15W standby: 109.5 kWh per year, roughly £27.05.
- 3-TV household at 2W average each: roughly £11 per year combined.
Why standby exists at all. TVs cannot fully power down because they need to listen for the remote control's infrared or Bluetooth signal. Smart TVs additionally maintain network connections for over-the-air firmware updates plus voice activation. The minimum draw to keep these features alive is around 0.5W. Anything above that is feature creep.
What pushes TV standby costs higher:
- Quick-resume or instant-on features. Boost standby draw to 2 to 3W. Disable in settings if you do not need fast boot.
- Voice activation listening. Smart TVs with always-listening features add 0.5 to 1.5W.
- HDMI-CEC handshakes. Some setups keep multiple devices ready to wake together.
- Connected gaming consoles, set-top boxes plus soundbars. Each adds its own standby draw stacked on the TV's.
The switched extension lead solution. The single most effective way to eliminate TV standby cost is to plug the TV plus all connected devices into a switched extension lead. Switch off at the wall when finished watching. Zero standby. Zero phantom draw. Across a 3-TV household the saving is roughly £11 to £25 per year. Compounds across years of use.
Real number ranges
Annual TV standby cost (UK 2026, 20 hours daily)
TV standby behaviour through a typical day
TV off
TV unused but plugged in. Drawing 0.5 to 3W in standby. Listening for remote signal.
Brief use
TV on for 1 to 2 hours. Active draw 70 to 200W. Standby resumed afterwards.
Peak active use
TV on for 3 to 4 hours. Standby resumes around 10 to 11pm.
Standby continues
TV in standby for 8 to 10 hours overnight. 0.005 to 0.03 kWh used. Cost: 0.1p to 0.7p.
Four ways to eliminate TV standby costs
Use a switched extension lead
Plug TV plus all connected devices into one. Switch off at the wall after viewing. Zero standby.
Disable quick-resume
Drop standby draw from 2 to 3W down to 0.5W. Trade-off: 30 to 60 second boot times.
Replace pre-2010 TVs
Old TV standby alone can cost £15 to £30 per year. New TVs save more than the standby cost over their lifetime.
Switch off voice activation
Always-listening smart TVs add 0.5 to 1.5W standby. Disable if you do not use voice control.
Compare the options
Modern TV with basic standby
- ✓0.5W standby on modern UK TVs.
- ✓£1 per year at 20 hours daily standby.
- ✓5 to 15 second boot time. Acceptable for occasional viewers.
- ✓Compliant with UK Ecodesign rules. Default for sets sold since 2013.
- ✓Smart features still work on first power-on each time.
Old TV or quick-resume smart TV
- ✗2 to 15W standby depending on age plus features.
- ✗£5 to £28 per year at the same 20 hours daily.
- ✗Instant-on resume. Convenient but expensive over time.
- ✗Older sets pre-date efficiency rules. Quick-resume sets exceed efficient standby.
- ✗Multiple connected devices stacked on top compound the cost.
TV standby is small per TV but adds up across multiple sets plus connected devices. Our full Appliances hub covers running costs across every major UK household appliance.
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This article is one chapter inside our complete Appliances knowledge base. The hub covers running costs across every major household appliance from kettles to heat pumps.
More on appliance running costs
Three further home electronics articles in the same hub group cover related questions. The first is how much electric does a tv use for active TV running cost. The second covers how much electric does a ps5 use for the partner gaming console with similar standby behaviour. The third is how much electricity does an xbox use for the alternative console.