How much does a TV cost to run?
$3.35 a month
- A day of use
- $0.11
- An hour of running
- $0.02
- A year
- $40.16
120 W, 5 hours a day, at the US average of 18.3¢ per kWh (EIA, June 2026). How we calculate this
Change the watts, hours or rate
What it costs at other usage levels
| Use | A day | A month | A year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 hour a day | $0.02 | $0.67 | $8.03 |
| 2 hours a day | $0.04 | $1.34 | $16.07 |
| 4 hours a day | $0.09 | $2.68 | $32.13 |
| 5 hours a day typical | $0.11 | $3.35 | $40.16 |
| 8 hours a day | $0.18 | $5.36 | $64.26 |
| 24 hours a day | $0.53 | $16.07 | $192.79 |
A typical model draws about 120 W (Virginia Cooperative Extension).
Ways to spend less
- Turn on the picture's energy-saving or auto-brightness mode.
- Switch it off instead of leaving it on as background noise. Saves about $1.34 a month.
- Plug the TV and its boxes into a power strip you switch off at night.
What a TV costs to run in every state
| Rank | State | Rate | A month | A year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nevada | 13.1¢ | $2.39 | $28.71 |
| 2 | Nebraska | 13.3¢ | $2.42 | $29.02 |
| 3 | Utah | 13.4¢ | $2.44 | $29.28 |
| 4 | Louisiana | 13.5¢ | $2.46 | $29.54 |
| 5 | Tennessee | 14.1¢ | $2.57 | $30.81 |
| 6 | Arkansas | 14.1¢ | $2.58 | $30.92 |
| 7 | North Dakota | 14.1¢ | $2.58 | $30.92 |
| 8 | Kentucky | 14.3¢ | $2.60 | $31.23 |
| 9 | Oklahoma | 14.3¢ | $2.62 | $31.38 |
| 10 | Idaho | 14.4¢ | $2.62 | $31.47 |
| 11 | North Carolina | 14.7¢ | $2.69 | $32.28 |
| 12 | Mississippi | 14.9¢ | $2.72 | $32.59 |
| 13 | Washington | 14.9¢ | $2.72 | $32.65 |
| 14 | New Mexico | 15.1¢ | $2.75 | $32.98 |
| 15 | Florida | 15.1¢ | $2.76 | $33.07 |
| 16 | Montana | 15.1¢ | $2.76 | $33.16 |
| 17 | Arizona | 15.2¢ | $2.77 | $33.24 |
| 18 | Wyoming | 15.2¢ | $2.78 | $33.38 |
| 19 | South Dakota | 15.4¢ | $2.80 | $33.64 |
| 20 | West Virginia | 15.5¢ | $2.82 | $33.84 |
| 21 | South Carolina | 15.6¢ | $2.84 | $34.05 |
| 22 | Kansas | 15.7¢ | $2.87 | $34.40 |
| 23 | Iowa | 15.9¢ | $2.91 | $34.89 |
| 24 | Texas | 15.9¢ | $2.91 | $34.91 |
| 25 | Missouri | 16.2¢ | $2.96 | $35.52 |
| 26 | Oregon | 16.3¢ | $2.98 | $35.74 |
| 27 | Georgia | 16.4¢ | $2.99 | $35.83 |
| 28 | Alabama | 16.4¢ | $2.99 | $35.92 |
| 29 | Colorado | 17.1¢ | $3.13 | $37.51 |
| 30 | Virginia | 17.2¢ | $3.14 | $37.71 |
| 31 | Indiana | 17.5¢ | $3.20 | $38.35 |
| 32 | Minnesota | 17.5¢ | $3.20 | $38.37 |
| 33 | Ohio | 19.2¢ | $3.50 | $42.03 |
| 34 | Delaware | 19.3¢ | $3.52 | $42.25 |
| 35 | Wisconsin | 19.6¢ | $3.57 | $42.84 |
| 36 | Illinois | 19.9¢ | $3.63 | $43.56 |
| 37 | Pennsylvania | 21.7¢ | $3.97 | $47.59 |
| 38 | Maryland | 21.8¢ | $3.99 | $47.83 |
| 39 | Michigan | 23.0¢ | $4.20 | $50.35 |
| 40 | Connecticut | 24.3¢ | $4.44 | $53.26 |
| 41 | District of Columbia | 24.4¢ | $4.45 | $53.41 |
| 42 | Vermont | 24.4¢ | $4.46 | $53.52 |
| 43 | New Jersey | 25.0¢ | $4.55 | $54.64 |
| 44 | New Hampshire | 27.0¢ | $4.93 | $59.15 |
| 45 | Alaska | 28.2¢ | $5.15 | $61.78 |
| 46 | Rhode Island | 29.2¢ | $5.33 | $64.01 |
| 47 | New York | 29.5¢ | $5.38 | $64.58 |
| 48 | Maine | 29.6¢ | $5.40 | $64.80 |
| 49 | Massachusetts | 29.6¢ | $5.40 | $64.85 |
| 50 | California | 34.7¢ | $6.34 | $76.08 |
| 51 | Hawaii | 52.7¢ | $9.62 | $115.46 |
Questions
How much does it cost to run a TV per hour?
About $0.02 an hour. A TV at 120 W uses 0.120 kWh per hour, and at the US average of 18.3¢ per kWh that comes to $0.02.
How much does a TV add to your electric bill?
Used 5 hours a day, about $3.35 a month, or $40.16 a year.
How much does it cost to run a TV 24 hours a day?
Running nonstop, a TV would use 2.88 kWh a day and cost $0.53 a day, or $16.07 over an average month.
How many watts does a TV use?
A typical model draws about 120 W (Virginia Cooperative Extension). Check the label on yours: cost scales directly with watts, so a 20% lower wattage means a 20% lower bill.
Which state is cheapest to run a TV in?
Nevada, at 13.1¢ per kWh: $2.39 a month. The most expensive is Hawaii at 52.7¢ per kWh: $9.62 a month. Same appliance, same hours; only the rate differs.
Sources
- Virginia Cooperative Extension: Estimating appliance and home electronic energy use (reproduces U.S. Department of Energy sample wattages)
- Penn State EGEE 102: Typical range of power consumption (wattage)
- U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: average price of electricity to ultimate customers, residential, June 2026 Figures transcribed from republications of this table on September 26, 2026; pending direct verification from the EIA API.
Usage assumptions (hours a day, season) are ours and listed on the methodology page. Found an error? Tell us.