📺How much electricity does a TV use?
A TV draws about 50 to 200 watts. At 5 hours a day and the US-average 17¢/kWh, that’s about $1.28–$5.10 a month ($16–$62 a year) — roughly $0.009–$0.034 an hour while it’s on.
These are estimates, not a meter reading. The wattage and energy figures are typical US ranges and the 17¢/kWh is the national-average rate — the math is exact once you plug in your own wattage and rate. Your real cost depends on the specific unit, your settings and your utility.
Energy and cost, broken down
| Timeframe | Energy (kWh) | Cost @ 17¢/kWh |
|---|---|---|
| Per hour running | 0.05–0.20 | $0.009–$0.034 |
| Per day (5 h) | 0.25–1.0 | $0.043–$0.17 |
| Per month | 7.5–30.0 | $1.28–$5.10 |
| Per year | 91.3–365 | $16–$62 |
At the US-average 17¢/kWh. On a cheap rate (~11¢) these drop about a third; in California, New England or Hawaii (~33¢+) they roughly double. Ranges reflect the typical span of unit sizes and settings.
Why it costs what it does
A flat-screen TV is a small load, not a big one — the size and panel type set the wattage. A 32-inch LED runs 30–40 watts; a 55-inch is roughly 60–100 watts; a 65–75-inch or an OLED can pull 100–200 watts at bright settings. Watts scale with screen area and brightness, so a bright HDR movie draws more than the news. The bigger hidden cost on older sets was standby, but modern TVs draw under a watt when "off" — about $0.75 a year.
How to run it for less
- Turn down the backlight or brightness — it is the single biggest driver of a TV's wattage, and factory "vivid" mode runs it near maximum.
- Enable the eco or ambient-light sensor mode so the panel dims in a dark room instead of running full brightness.
- Switch off "quick start"/instant-on in settings if you don't need it — it keeps the set half-awake and raises standby draw.
- Use a real off (or a smart plug) for a media setup where a TV, console and soundbar together idle at 10–20 watts around the clock.
Keep going
Frequently asked
How much does it cost to run a TV per day?▾
At five hours a day, a typical TV costs about 4 to 17 cents a day — a small 32-inch set at the low end, a large 65–75-inch or OLED at the top. Over a month that is roughly $1 to $5. The exact figure is watts ÷ 1000 × hours × your electricity rate, so a brighter picture and more viewing hours both push it up.
Does a TV use a lot of electricity on standby?▾
Not anymore. Modern TVs are held to under 0.5–1 watt in standby, which is well under a dollar a year — not worth unplugging for. The exception is an older plasma or a media setup where a console, soundbar and streaming box idle together; those can total 10–20 watts around the clock, which a smart plug can cut.
How do I work out what a TV costs to run for my electricity rate?▾
Take the wattage ÷ 1,000 to get kilowatts, multiply by the hours you run it, then by your electricity rate. Find your rate on your bill (total ÷ kWh used) — the US average is about 17¢/kWh, but it ranges from ~11¢ in the cheapest states to 30–42¢ in California, New England and Hawaii. So the same TV costs roughly 35% less on a cheap rate and nearly double on an expensive one than the figures here.
What is the average price of electricity in the US?▾
About 17¢ per kWh for residential customers as a national average (2026). The cheapest states — parts of the Midwest and Pacific Northwest — sit near 11¢, while California, most of New England and Hawaii run 30¢ to over 40¢. Your exact rate is on your utility bill; divide the dollar total by the kWh used, or read the per-kWh charge directly.