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$2.55 a Month: How Much Does It Cost to Run a 65-Inch TV?

Running a TV at 100 watts for 5 hours a day costs about $0.09 a day and $2.55 a month at 17¢/kWh, the EIA 2025 annual US average (July 2026 monthly: 18.31¢) — roughly $31 a year.

100 W (60–150 W)Typical power draw
5 h/day, 30 days/monthAssumed use
0.50 kWhEnergy per day

· Source: EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A (July 2026 data) · next EIA update ~Oct 23

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a TV: energy cost only (100 W ÷ 1,000 × hours × rate); fixed fees and taxes extra.
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Slider nudges the rate for a TV; the URL keeps it.

## How much does it cost to run a TV?

The same a TV at 5 hours a day costs $1.80 a month at 12¢ and $6.75 at 45¢ — usage held constant, only the rate moving:

Table 1: $2.55 a Month: How Much Does It Cost to Run a 65-Inch TV?
Electricity rate Per hour Per day Per month Per year
12¢/kWh $0.012 $0.06 $1.80 $22
15¢/kWh $0.015 $0.07 $2.25 $27
17¢/kWh (US avg) $0.017 $0.09 $2.55 $31
20¢/kWh $0.020 $0.10 $3.00 $36
25¢/kWh $0.025 $0.12 $3.75 $46
30¢/kWh $0.030 $0.15 $4.50 $55
35¢/kWh $0.035 $0.17 $5.25 $64
45¢/kWh $0.045 $0.23 $6.75 $82
Typical power draw
100 W (60–150 W)
Assumed use
5 h/day, 30 days/month
Energy per day
0.50 kWh
Cost per day
$0.09
Cost per month
$2.55
Cost per year
$31

Why this number

Running a TV at 100 watts for 5 hours a day costs about $0.09 a day and $2.55 a month at 17¢/kWh, the EIA 2025 annual US average (July 2026 monthly: 18.31¢) — roughly $31 a year. The formula for a TV: 100 W ÷ 1,000 × hours × your rate per kWh. For a TV your own rate changes the answer: at 12¢/kWh that month costs $1.80, at 45¢/kWh it costs $6.75.

A TV rated at 100 watts, run 5 hours a day, costs about $0.09 a day — about $2.55 a month, or $31 a year — at the US average electricity rate of 17¢/kWh. That places it 30th of the 40 appliances tracked here, near the bottom. It is not where a high bill comes from, and switching it off will not rescue one.

What actually drives this number

Modern LED and OLED televisions draw far less than the plasma sets that gave TVs their reputation for cost. Brightness settings make a measurable difference; a screen in a dim room does not need its showroom preset.

For a TV the unit that matters is the kilowatt-hour, not the kilowatt : 100 W is only the rate of use, and 5 hours a day is what turns it into the 182 kWh a year you are actually billed for. On that yearly measure its nearest always-on neighbor is the LED grow light at about 158 kWh.

Where this number comes from

Putting 65-inch LED TV in proportion

At 17¢/kWh, a TV next to the rest of the bill:

For a TV: consumer electronics look power-hungry on the label and rarely are on the bill, because they run for hours rather than around the clock and spend much of that time well below their rated draw. On this site’s own numbers, a TV lands at #30 of 40 on the monthly-cost ranking, at about $2.55 for a typical month.

The formula, in full

The 100 W arithmetic for a TV, step by step:

  1. Watts to kilowatts. 100 W ÷ 1,000 = 0.10 kW.
  2. Energy per day. 0.10 kW × 5 hours = 0.50 kWh.
  3. Cost per day. 0.50 kWh × $0.17 = $0.09.
  4. Cost per month. $0.09 × 30 days = $2.55.

For a TV the two levers are run-hours (5 h/day here) and your rate; at 5 hours a day, 100 W adds up — which is why consumer electronics dominate the rankings.

Other electronics: CPAP machine ($11/yr), NAS (home server) ($53/yr), Treadmill ($62/yr). Closest on annual cost: Electric oven ($35/yr), LED grow light ($27/yr). Across all other electronics here, the priciest is Gaming PC at $16.32/mo.

The a TV table above runs a fixed rate ladder (12–45¢); the state quick-fill uses July 2026 averages from EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A .

Put a TV ($2.55 a month) against everything else in the electricity cost calculator , check your state’s rate , or browse all 40 appliances ; year-round high bills: solar savings calculator .

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to run a TV per hour?

About $0.017 an hour for a TV at 17¢/kWh, the EIA 2025 annual US average (July 2026 monthly: 18.31¢), for a 100 W unit. The calculation is 100 ÷ 1,000 × 1 hour × $0.17 per kWh. At 30¢/kWh the same hour costs $0.030.

How much does a TV add to my monthly bill?

Roughly $2.55 a month for a TV at 5 hours a day, 30 days a month, 17¢/kWh. That is about $31 a year if you use it that much year-round. For a TV, change the 5-hour default to your own use — run-time moves the total as much as the 100 W does.

How many watts does a TV use?

Typically around 100 W, with real units ranging from about 60 to 150 W depending on size, model and setting. The nameplate on your own unit is the figure to trust — these are typical values for planning, not a measurement of your appliance.

Why is my actual bill higher than the a TV figure?

$2.55 a month is the energy cost of a TV alone; your bill adds fixed connection charges, delivery fees, taxes and every other load. Add the other appliances in the index to a TV for the controllable part of the bill.

How we calculated this

Worked for a TV: 100 W ÷ 1,000 × 5 h × $0.17 = $0.09 a day; × 30 days = $2.55 a month; × 12 months in use = $31 a year. 100 W and 5 h are the typical figures cited for a TV; 17¢ is EIA’s 2025 annual US average.

Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) electricity rates · DSIRE incentive records · public IRS/OBBBA guidance. Figures are modeled estimates, not quotes or tax advice. See our methodology.

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