How much does it cost to run an LED television?
An LED television drawing 80 watts, used 4 hours a day, uses about 0.32 kWh per day and costs about $0.06 per day, $1.89 per month, and $22.67 per year at the US average residential rate of 19.4¢/kWh. Enter your own wattage, hours, and state below for an exact figure.
Estimates only — based on typical wattages and average state rates, not your actual bill.
What drives the cost
A modern 55-inch LED TV draws roughly 80 watts — dramatically less than the plasma and CRT sets it replaced. Screen size and brightness settings drive most of the variation, and OLED models vary with on-screen content. Standby draw is now trivially small on current sets.
Cost at different daily usage
Same LED television at 80 watts, run for different amounts of time, at 19.4¢/kWh.
| Usage | kWh/day | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 h/day | 0.16 kWh | $0.03 | $0.95 | $11.34 |
| 4 h/day | 0.32 kWh | $0.06 | $1.89 | $22.67 |
| 6 h/day | 0.48 kWh | $0.09 | $2.84 | $34.01 |
| 8 h/day | 0.64 kWh | $0.12 | $3.78 | $45.34 |
Cost by model power draw
Not all models are equal. At 4 h/day, here is what the range costs.
| Model | Power | kWh/day | Per day | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low-draw model | 40 W | 0.16 kWh | $0.03 | $0.95 |
| Typical | 80 W | 0.32 kWh | $0.06 | $1.89 |
| High-draw model | 200 W | 0.80 kWh | $0.16 | $4.73 |
Cost by state
An LED television at 80 W for 4 h/day, priced at each state's average residential rate.
| State | Rate | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 16.8¢ | $0.05 | $1.63 | $19.59 |
| Alaska | 28.2¢ | $0.09 | $2.75 | $32.97 |
| Arizona | 15.2¢ | $0.05 | $1.48 | $17.79 |
| Arkansas | 14.4¢ | $0.05 | $1.40 | $16.77 |
| California | 33.2¢ | $0.11 | $3.24 | $38.84 |
| Colorado | 16.2¢ | $0.05 | $1.57 | $18.87 |
| Connecticut | 27.4¢ | $0.09 | $2.67 | $31.97 |
| Delaware | 19.4¢ | $0.06 | $1.89 | $22.64 |
| District of Columbia | 25.4¢ | $0.08 | $2.47 | $29.67 |
| Florida | 15.2¢ | $0.05 | $1.48 | $17.72 |
| Georgia | 15.8¢ | $0.05 | $1.54 | $18.50 |
| Hawaii | 52.0¢ | $0.17 | $5.07 | $60.74 |
| Idaho | 12.3¢ | $0.04 | $1.20 | $14.42 |
| Illinois | 23.9¢ | $0.08 | $2.32 | $27.86 |
| Indiana | 18.1¢ | $0.06 | $1.77 | $21.20 |
| Iowa | 14.1¢ | $0.05 | $1.38 | $16.52 |
| Kansas | 15.1¢ | $0.05 | $1.47 | $17.67 |
| Kentucky | 15.0¢ | $0.05 | $1.46 | $17.50 |
| Louisiana | 14.2¢ | $0.05 | $1.38 | $16.53 |
| Maine | 28.6¢ | $0.09 | $2.79 | $33.44 |
| Maryland | 21.8¢ | $0.07 | $2.12 | $25.43 |
| Massachusetts | 28.8¢ | $0.09 | $2.81 | $33.66 |
| Michigan | 22.0¢ | $0.07 | $2.14 | $25.71 |
| Minnesota | 16.9¢ | $0.05 | $1.65 | $19.80 |
| Mississippi | 16.2¢ | $0.05 | $1.57 | $18.87 |
| Missouri | 13.7¢ | $0.04 | $1.33 | $15.98 |
| Montana | 14.7¢ | $0.05 | $1.43 | $17.13 |
| Nebraska | 13.6¢ | $0.04 | $1.32 | $15.87 |
| Nevada | 13.6¢ | $0.04 | $1.32 | $15.88 |
| New Hampshire | 27.3¢ | $0.09 | $2.66 | $31.92 |
| New Jersey | 23.3¢ | $0.07 | $2.27 | $27.18 |
| New Mexico | 14.1¢ | $0.05 | $1.38 | $16.49 |
| New York | 29.9¢ | $0.10 | $2.92 | $34.96 |
| North Carolina | 15.1¢ | $0.05 | $1.47 | $17.63 |
| North Dakota | 13.6¢ | $0.04 | $1.33 | $15.90 |
| Ohio | 19.5¢ | $0.06 | $1.90 | $22.80 |
| Oklahoma | 13.4¢ | $0.04 | $1.30 | $15.63 |
| Oregon | 16.3¢ | $0.05 | $1.58 | $19.00 |
| Pennsylvania | 21.6¢ | $0.07 | $2.10 | $25.17 |
| Rhode Island | 29.5¢ | $0.09 | $2.87 | $34.41 |
| South Carolina | 16.2¢ | $0.05 | $1.58 | $18.90 |
| South Dakota | 15.7¢ | $0.05 | $1.53 | $18.37 |
| Tennessee | 14.5¢ | $0.05 | $1.41 | $16.90 |
| Texas | 16.4¢ | $0.05 | $1.60 | $19.20 |
| Utah | 13.0¢ | $0.04 | $1.26 | $15.14 |
| Vermont | 24.9¢ | $0.08 | $2.42 | $29.07 |
| Virginia | 17.6¢ | $0.06 | $1.72 | $20.57 |
| Washington | 14.9¢ | $0.05 | $1.46 | $17.46 |
| West Virginia | 16.8¢ | $0.05 | $1.64 | $19.62 |
| Wisconsin | 19.7¢ | $0.06 | $1.92 | $23.06 |
| Wyoming | 14.8¢ | $0.05 | $1.44 | $17.29 |
How to cut the cost
- Turn down backlight or brightness; showroom-bright settings use noticeably more power at home.
- Enable the ambient light sensor if your set has one.
- Use the sleep timer if the TV often runs unwatched.
- Don't bother unplugging modern TVs to avoid standby draw — it's a fraction of a watt.
Compare with related appliances
Monthly cost at typical usage and 19.4¢/kWh.
Questions
Do TVs use a lot of electricity?
Modern LED sets are efficient — a typical 55-inch model uses about the same power as a bright light bulb. Very large or high-brightness sets use more.
How do you calculate what an LED television costs to run?
Multiply its wattage by the hours it runs per day, divide by 1,000 to get kilowatt-hours, then multiply by your electricity rate. For an LED television: 80 W × 4 h ÷ 1,000 = 0.32 kWh per day, which at 19.4¢/kWh is $0.06 per day.
How many watts does an LED television use?
Typically 80 watts, with most models falling between 40 and 200 watts. The label on the appliance or its power supply gives the figure for your specific unit.