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How much electricity does a TV use?

By Nazrul Islam. Updated October 11, 2026.

How many watts does a TV use?

Screen size matters most. Bigger screens need more light, and more light takes more power. Here are on-mode watts from ENERGY STAR certification records for real models sold in the U.S.

The yearly kWh figures are ENERGY STAR’s, which assume 5 hours on and 19 hours in standby per day. Most match that math within a few kWh. The exception is the Samsung QN90D: its record lists 266 kWh/yr, while 5 h/day math from its watts gives about 226 kWh. Treat ENERGY STAR’s figure for it as an upper estimate.

Watts are measured under the federal test procedure, using the TV’s default picture settings. Your real draw will vary with picture settings, content and room light.

Mini-LED TVs

Mini-LED sets use thousands of small LEDs behind an LCD panel. Many are tuned for very high brightness. TCL’s spec sheet for its QM8K mini-LED series lists these yearly figures from the EnergyGuide label:

Derived watts = kWh/year × 1,000 ÷ (5 hours × 365 days), ignoring the small standby share. The 65-inch QM8K uses about 50 to 70% more energy per year than the 65-inch OLEDs above. Samsung’s QN90D mini-LED, by contrast, landed among the OLEDs, so not every mini-LED TV uses more.

Rough ranges by size

From the records above, a reasonable planning range for a new 4K TV is:

Budget and edge-lit LCDs sit at the low end. OLED and bright direct-lit or mini-LED sets sit higher. In this sample, the 55-inch OLEDs drew more than the 55-inch LCDs.

How do you calculate what a TV costs to run?

kWh = watts × hours ÷ 1,000

Cost = kWh × price per kWh

Example: a 100 W TV watched 5 hours a day uses 100 × 5 ÷ 1,000 = 0.5 kWh a day. Over a year that is 0.5 × 365 = 182.5 kWh. At 18¢ per kWh, that costs about $32.85 a year.

The 18¢ rate is EIA’s forecast for the 2026 U.S. average residential price, 18.2 cents per kWh. Check your bill for your own rate.

TV cost per year

The table assumes 5 hours of viewing a day, the same assumption as the EnergyGuide label. For cost per hour, multiply kilowatts by your rate: a 100 W TV costs 0.1 × 18¢ = 1.8¢ an hour.

If the TV is on 10 hours a day, double the year figures.

What does the yellow EnergyGuide label on a TV assume?

The FTC requires a yellow EnergyGuide label on new TVs. Its estimated yearly cost assumes 5 hours on and 19 hours in standby per day.

Older labels used 12 cents per kWh; the LG 65SM8100’s label, for example, lists 178 kWh and about $21 a year. In February 2024 the FTC updated the label cost to 16 cents per kWh. Manufacturers had to use the new figures on units made from May 2, 2024.

To convert a label to your rate, use the kWh number, not the dollar number. Example: 178 kWh × 18¢ = about $32 a year.

The FTC’s 2024 comparison ranges show how wide the spread is:

Within one size class, the least efficient TV can cost two to five times as much to run as the most efficient.

Does HDR or brightness use more power?

Often, yes, on LCD-based TVs. Sony’s EU product sheets list separate SDR and HDR figures:

These are European test results for European models, so the watts will not match U.S. ENERGY STAR numbers. The pattern is still useful: an LCD’s backlight works harder for HDR highlights. In this OLED example, HDR barely changed average power.

As a rule of thumb, brighter picture settings mean more watts on any TV. A “vivid” or store-demo mode usually draws more than the default or energy-saving mode.

How much power does a TV use when it’s off?

Very little. ENERGY STAR caps sleep mode at 0.5 W; with network wake on, the records list up to about 0.8 W.

Sony’s EU sheets list 2 W for “networked standby,” which keeps the TV ready to wake from your phone or network. Turning off quick-start or wake-over-network features can lower standby draw on some sets. Unplugging a modern TV saves less than a dollar a year in most cases.

How can you lower a TV’s electricity use?

1. Use the default or an energy-saving picture mode. ENERGY STAR measures TVs in their shipped mode. Bright “vivid” modes typically raise power.
2. Turn on automatic brightness control. ENERGY STAR says this feature adjusts brightness to the room’s light. Every certified record above lists it as supported but off by default, so check your settings.
3. Lower the backlight or OLED brightness in a dim room. You often need far less brightness at night.
4. Use the sleep timer and the “turn off when no signal” setting.
5. Stream from the TV’s built-in apps. ENERGY STAR notes this avoids the extra power of a separate game console or media player.
6. Compare EnergyGuide kWh before you buy. Within one size class, yearly costs on the FTC ranges differ by two to five times.

Can you run a TV on a power station or generator?

Yes. A TV is one of the easier loads to run during an outage, because its draw is steady and modest.

About 850 Wh of a 1,000Wh power station is usable through the AC outlets, assuming about 85% inverter efficiency.

Runtime in hours = 850 Wh ÷ TV watts

Add your streaming box, soundbar and Wi-Fi router to the total. See what a 1,000Wh power station can run for other devices, or use the power station size calculator.

Generator safety: run a portable generator outdoors, at least 20 feet from the house, never inside or in a garage; see power station vs. generator.

Quick answers

How many watts does a 65-inch TV use? Recent ENERGY STAR-certified 65-inch models draw about 114 to 132 W. Very bright mini-LED models can average closer to 200 W.

How many watts does a 55-inch TV use? Most new 55-inch TVs draw about 70 to 120 W. Edge-lit LCDs are near the low end, and OLEDs near the high end.

How much does it cost to run a TV for an hour? A 100 W TV costs about 1.8 cents an hour at 18¢ per kWh. A 200 W TV costs about 3.6 cents.

Does leaving a TV on standby waste electricity? Not much. ENERGY STAR TVs use 0.5 W or less in sleep mode, about 60 cents a year at 18¢ per kWh.

Do OLED TVs use more electricity than LED TVs? It depends on the model. In the ENERGY STAR records above, 55-inch OLEDs used more than 55-inch LCDs, but TCL’s bright 65-inch QM8K mini-LED used more, while Samsung’s QN90D mini-LED landed among the OLEDs.

What rate does the TV EnergyGuide label use? Labels on TVs made from May 2024 use 16 cents per kWh. They assume 5 hours of use a day. Older labels used 12 cents per kWh.