Calculators · Cost to run
How much electricity does a TV use?
A modern LED TV uses roughly 100 watts, so a typical evening of watching is about half a kilowatt-hour — pennies a day. Screen size and panel type matter most: a big OLED uses more than a small LED.
per hour
1¢
per day
$0.06
per month
$1.90
per year
$22.74
Running a 100W tv (led, 50–65") 5 hours a day costs about $0.06/day or $1.90/month at 12.46¢/kWh.
Runs entirely in your browser — nothing you type is sent anywhere. Estimates only; your actual bill depends on your usage and includes delivery charges on top of the supply rate.
What it costs per day, at real rates
Based on a 100W LED TV on about 5 hours a day (~0.5 kWh), priced at three of the utilities we track:
| Utility | Rate | Cost per day |
|---|---|---|
| PECO (PA) | 10.789¢/kWh | 5¢ |
| BGE (MD) | 14.609¢/kWh | 7¢ |
| ComEd (IL) | 10.399¢/kWh | 5¢ |
Supply rate only; delivery charges are extra. Use the calculator above for your own utility and usage.
TV power by screen size
| Screen | Typical watts | kWh/year (5 hr/day) |
|---|---|---|
| 32" LED | ~30 W | ~55 kWh |
| 50" LED | ~75 W | ~137 kWh |
| 65" LED | ~100 W | ~183 kWh |
| 65" OLED | ~120 W | ~219 kWh |
| 75"+ LED/QLED | ~150 W | ~274 kWh |
Brightness, HDR, and content all shift real draw; OLED varies more with on-screen brightness.
How to cut the cost
- 1
Turn down the backlight
Backlight/brightness is the single biggest factor in a TV's power use. Most sets ship far brighter than a living room needs — turning it down cuts energy and eye strain.
- 2
Use the eco / power-saving mode
It dims the panel intelligently and turns off some power-hungry processing. Easy, set-and-forget savings.
- 3
Actually turn it off
A TV left on as 'background noise' for hours uses real energy. Standby draw is tiny by comparison, so don't sweat that — just don't leave it playing to an empty room.
- 4
Skip the 'vivid' picture mode
Store/vivid modes crank brightness and processing. 'Movie' or 'cinema' looks better and uses less.
Common questions
- How much does it cost to run a TV per month?
- A 100W LED TV on ~5 hours a day uses about 15 kWh a month — roughly $2–$3 at typical rates. A big OLED or a TV on all day costs more.
- Does a TV use a lot of electricity?
- Not really, by modern standards — a typical LED TV is about 100 watts, similar to a couple of old bulbs. It's a small slice of most bills; heating, cooling, and the water heater dwarf it.
- Does leaving a TV on standby use power?
- A little — usually 0.5–3 watts, often well under a dollar a year. Modern standby is efficient; the bigger waste is leaving the screen actually on.
- Does an OLED use more than an LED?
- It depends on what's on screen — OLEDs use more on bright images and less on dark ones, and tend to run a bit higher overall at the same size. Backlight/brightness settings matter more than the panel type.
If your bill jumped more than your usage explains, your rate may have risen too.