How Much Electric
Does a TV Use?
TV electricity use varies more than people realise. A 32-inch LED draws 30W. A 75-inch QLED can draw 250W on bright HDR content. The honest 2026 UK range is £9 to £70 per year depending on size, technology plus daily watch hours.
A typical UK TV draws 30 to 250 watts depending on size, panel technology plus content. At the current Q2 2026 Ofgem unit rate of 24.7p per kWh that means a 32-inch LED costs roughly 0.7p per hour, a 55-inch 4K LED costs 1.8p per hour plus a 75-inch QLED with HDR costs around 5p per hour. For typical UK viewing of 4 hours per day, annual costs range from £9 for a small efficient set to £70+ for a large premium TV. Standby loads add a further £1 to £3 per year.
The figures that matter
32 to 43-inch LED
Smaller TVs. UK average bedroom or kitchen TV. Cheapest hourly cost.
55 to 65-inch 4K
Mainstream UK living room TV size. Most common across UK households in 2026.
75-inch+ QLED
Premium large-screen TVs. Higher draw especially under HDR content.
Standby
Phantom draw when off. Usually negligible per hour but cumulative.
Four things to consider
Size matters most
Each step up in screen size adds 30 to 60W of typical draw. 75-inch is roughly 4x a 32-inch.
Brightness setting saves 30%+
Default UK shop brightness is far higher than home use needs. Drop brightness 20 to 30 percent.
OLED varies with content
OLED TVs use less power on dark scenes plus more on bright HDR. Average works out lower than LED.
Eco mode is a real saving
Most TVs ship with eco modes that cap brightness plus disable motion features. 20 to 40 percent savings.
Real UK TV running costs by type plus size
TV electricity use depends on three things: physical size (more pixels equals more power), panel technology (LED, OLED, QLED, mini-LED) plus the content (HDR plus bright scenes draw more than dark scenes plus standard dynamic range).
Real numbers at 24.7p per kWh (Q2 2026 Ofgem cap):
- 32-inch LED, 40W average, 4 hrs daily: 0.16 kWh per day, 58 kWh per year, roughly £14 per year.
- 43-inch LED, 60W average, 4 hrs daily: 0.24 kWh per day, 88 kWh per year, roughly £22 per year.
- 55-inch 4K LED, 100W average, 4 hrs daily: 0.4 kWh per day, 146 kWh per year, roughly £36 per year.
- 65-inch QLED, 150W average, 4 hrs daily: 0.6 kWh per day, 219 kWh per year, roughly £54 per year.
- 75-inch QLED HDR, 200W average, 4 hrs daily: 0.8 kWh per day, 292 kWh per year, roughly £72 per year.
- Heavy viewer (8 hrs daily, 65-inch): 1.2 kWh per day, 438 kWh per year, roughly £108 per year.
Where the wattage actually goes inside a TV:
- Backlight (LED, QLED): 60 to 80 percent of total power. Direct-lit plus mini-LED arrays use more than edge-lit.
- Pixel illumination (OLED): self-emitting pixels, dark scenes use less, bright scenes use more.
- Image processor: 5 to 15W typical. More on TVs with motion smoothing plus AI upscaling.
- Audio: 5 to 15W for built-in speakers. Soundbars draw separately.
- Smart TV functions: 2 to 8W for the embedded processor running the OS.
Why eco mode is a big lever. Most UK TVs ship with brightness set high for showroom use. Home viewing rarely needs maximum brightness. Dropping the brightness slider to 60 to 70 percent (or enabling eco mode) typically saves 20 to 40 percent of the TV's total power without a noticeable visual difference. On a 65-inch QLED that is roughly £11 to £22 per year saved.
Standby loads on modern TVs. Modern smart TVs draw 0.5 to 3W in standby. The lower end is for sets that fully power down. The upper end is for sets that maintain network connections, run automatic firmware updates plus support quick-resume. Across 20 hours daily standby for a year that is 4 to 22 kWh, costing £1 to £6.
Real number ranges
Annual TV running cost (UK 2026, 4 hrs daily)
Energy use through a typical TV evening
Brief boot
Smart TVs take 5 to 15 seconds to start. Brief peak draw during boot. Negligible cost contribution.
Standard viewing
Average draw across the channel. SDR content uses less than HDR. 70 to 130W typical for 55-inch.
Higher draw
HDR plus 4K content pushes brightness higher. 100 to 200W on a 65-inch QLED.
Phantom load
0.5 to 3W in standby. 20 hours overnight is 0.01 to 0.06 kWh. Costs 0.2p to 1.5p overnight.
Four ways to cut TV running costs
Drop the brightness setting
Default shop-floor brightness is rarely needed for home viewing. Drop to 60 to 70 percent. Saves 20 to 40 percent of typical draw.
Enable eco mode
Most TVs have eco settings that cap brightness plus disable motion smoothing. Visual difference is minimal.
Switch off at the wall when away
Standby draw of 0.5 to 3W adds up across long absences. Switched extension lead eliminates this entirely.
Match TV size to room
75-inch in a 12-foot room is overkill plus wastes electricity. Choose size based on viewing distance not maximum available.
Compare the options
55-inch 4K LED
- •70 to 130W typical across UK living room viewing.
- •1.7p to 3.2p per hour at 24.7p per kWh.
- •£25 to £47 per year at 4 hours daily use.
- •Mainstream UK TV size in 2026. Best price-performance balance.
- •0.5 to 1.5W standby typical.
75-inch QLED with HDR
- •150 to 250W typical with peaks higher on bright HDR content.
- •3.7p to 6.2p per hour at the same Ofgem rate.
- •£54 to £90 per year at the same daily use.
- •Premium living room or media room TV. Best for cinema-style viewing.
- •1 to 3W standby with smart features active.
TVs are one of the smaller line items on a UK electricity bill compared with heating plus cooking but they run for many hours. 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 pc use for the related living room or office load. The second covers how much electric does a ps5 use for the partner gaming console. The third is how much electric does a computer use for the broader category.