TV
How much electricity does a TV use?
LED 55" around 80–120 W · OLED 90–180 W · $4–$12 per month at 16.5¢/kWh
Television power draw scales almost linearly with screen area and brightness. A 32-inch LED might draw 35 W; a 65-inch OLED at full brightness can pull 200 W. The difference over a year is real money.
Watts by size and type (rough)
- 32" LED — 30–45 W
- 43" LED — 45–70 W
- 55" LED — 70–120 W
- 65" LED — 100–150 W
- 55" OLED — 90–150 W
- 65" OLED — 130–200 W
- Any plasma — 200–400 W
The setting nobody changes
Most TVs ship in a "store" picture mode at maximum backlight. Switching to a calibrated or standard mode typically cuts power 20–40% with almost no visible loss. That single menu change often saves more than anything else.
Standby is smaller than people fear
Modern TVs draw 0.3–1 W in standby — around 25¢ to 80¢ a year. Unless you have a large home theatre with a receiver, console, and soundbar all idling, unplugging the TV to save standby power is not worth the effort. The appliances worth chasing are heaters and dehumidifiers, not televisions.
Frequently asked questions
How many watts does a tv use?
LED 55" around 80–120 W. The figure on the rating label is the maximum draw; actual use varies with settings, age and usage pattern.
How much does it cost to run a tv per month?
With the defaults above it comes to the monthly figure shown in the calculator. At 16.5¢/kWh — the US residential average — that is a realistic middle estimate. Your own bill may be 30% lower or higher depending on state.
Is it cheaper to run a tv at night?
Only if your utility offers a time-of-use plan and you avoid the 4pm–9pm peak window. On a flat-rate plan, the time of day makes no difference to the total.
Does the calculator account for real-world duty cycles?
Not automatically — you enter the effective hours yourself. For compressing appliances like refrigerators and AC units, enter the running watts and roughly the proportion of time the compressor is on, which is usually 30–50%.
Will a newer tv actually save money?
Compare the kWh figure in the calculator against an Energy Star model's stated annual use. If the difference is a few hundred kWh a year, the payback on a replacement is usually long; if it is over 500 kWh, it is worth pricing out.