How Many Watts Does a TV Use Per Hour with Electricity Cost

So how many watts does a TV use? About 50 to 100 watts, but it can vary on various factors. Here I will share the exact data on an hourly, monthly, and yearly basis. And how to reduce your TV watt consumption and electricity bill at home.

Plus, which type of TV (LED, LCD, OLED, CRT, and Plasma) consumes the highest electricity and lowest? So that you can make a better choice when purchasing it. 

Does TV Use a Lot of Electricity?

Technically yes and no. Old TVs like CRT and Plasma can eat a lot of electricity to 500 watts per hour. But if you get LED or LCD TV, your watt consumption will be far less, about 50 to 100 watts per hour, depending on the screen size and watch time.

Below is the average watt consumption data of each type of TV and how they affect your electricity bill with their initial differences. Take a close look and then buy the TV.

Also, read: How many watts a Refrigerator uses per month

Types of TV and Their Watt Consumption

How much watt does a TV uses largely depends on the type of TV you use. It will affect the watt consumption and the electricity bill. Modern LED, LCD, and OLED TVs consume fewer watts than old-age CRTs and Plasma TVs. Here are the technical differences between each TV type and their energy-saving capabilities.  

1. LCD TV

LCD tv consumes about 50 to 150 watts of electricity, depending on the size. LCD TV uses cold-cathode fluorescent lamps for display lighting. Although, it delivers a great combination of picture quality and average power consumption.

2. LED TV

LED tv use similar technology, but here they use light-emitting diodes for display which is more efficient and consumes way less power than LCD, about half, you can say. These LED TVs use about 50 to 100 watts of power on average.

3. OLED TV

OLED is the latest technology and very efficient despite its big size. OLED TV uses organic light-emitting diodes for great contrast and picture quality. But they use higher electricity than LEDs, about 66 to 107 watts per hour. 

A 40-inch LED will consume about 50 watts, and the same-size OLED will consume about 72 watts. Not too much difference between these two TVs. OLED offers the highest picture quality there is.

4. CRT TV 

If you are thinking about how many watts does a TV uses as I have a CRT tv, do not think much. They will cost you more as they are old technology and people do not use them for general purposes. 

But some people still use them for gaming purposes. These CRTs use cathode ray tubes for display which is very inefficient in terms of watt consumption. It can consume up to 65 to 120 watts of electricity per hour. 

5. Plasma TV

In 1964 Plasma TV was first introduced at the University of Illinois. It is made of tiny gas pockets. These pockets light up when high voltage is applied.

The only possible reason people buy it despite high electricity consumption is it provides a great contrasting ratio and views. It can consume up to 150 to 500 watts per hour, which depends on the size. That is why a few people use them.

How Many Watts Does a TV Use Per Hour on Average

The watt used largely depends on the size and the technology it uses. On average, a TV uses 50 to 200 watts of electricity hourly. Here is the list of how many watts does a TV use hourly.

Size	LED	LCD	OLED	CRT	Plasma
15″	15	18	NA	65	NA
17″	18	20	NA	75	NA
19″	20	22	NA	80	NA
20″	24	26	NA	90	NA
21″	26	30	NA	100	NA
22″	30	40	NA	100	NA
24″	35	50	NA	120	NA
30″	38	60	NA	NA	150
32″	41	70	NA	NA	160
37″	44	80	66	NA	180
40″	50	100	72	NA	200
42″	57	120	75	NA	220
50″	72	150	89	NA	300
55″	80	180	98	NA	370
60″	88	200	107	NA	500

You can see that Plasma TVs are the most electricity consumers, with about 500 watts per hour for a 60-inch TV. That is why people do not buy them. The best choice is LED or LCD, but you can go with OLED. But if you want a general overview, then the below point will guide you.

How Much Does a TV Cost Per Hour, Month, and Year

In most homes, people use five hours of screen time a day. I will calculate based on that. But if you watch less TV, your watt consumption will be lower, resulting in low electricity costs.

If you have a 40-inch LED TV with a watt consumption of 50 watts an hour with an average of 5 hours of watch time a day, then your total monthly cost will be $1.35 monthly and $16.2 yearly, with an average unit cost of $0.180 per kWh. 

• Watt per day = 50*5 = 250 watt
• Monthly = 250*30 = 7500 watt = 7.5 kW
• Monthly cost = 7.5*0.180 = 1.35 (dollars)
• Yearly cost= 1.35*12 = 16.2 (dollars)

So there is not much electricity consumption if you use a LED TV, but if you use a same-size Plasma tv, your yearly consumption will go over $65 per year, LCD will cost you about $32 per year, and OLED will cost about $24 per year. Everything depends on the size, technology, and watch time.

How to Reduce the Electricity Consumption of Your TV

The average consumption of TV is not that much. But still, if you want to reduce it as much as possible, here are a few ideas that can help you out. 

1. Turn the TV off using the switch. When you turn it off with the remote, it still consumes electricity. So, the correct way to turn the TV off is to cut the power supply completely.
2. Turn off additional features you are not using, like voice control and Bluetooth.
3. Lower your TV backlight if you are watching the TV in a dimly light environment. The backlight also drains your power, but I think the backlight makes you feel better. I would not turn it off.
4. Turn off other TV accessories like external home theater and PlayStation.

Yes, you can save a few watts by using these ideas, but that should not concern you as those will not cost you huge money. It is up to you and your TV-watching habit.

Last Words

So now you tell me how many watts does a TV uses? About 50 to 100 watts depending on the TV size, the watch time, and the technology it uses. Go for the LED, LCD, or OLED displays as there very energy efficient and give you a better viewing experience. 

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