How Many Watts Does a TV Use?
On average, modern TVs use around 100 watts, but did you know that this number can fluctuate significantly based on screen technology, size, and other factors?
LED TVs are the most energy-efficient. A 55″ LED TV, for instance, consumes only around 60 to 100 watts, while an OLED TV of the same size consumes 90 to 150 watts. Meanwhile, older models like Plasma TVs of the same size (55″) consume 100% to 400% more than LED TVs, ranging from 200 to 300 watts.
In this article, we more deeply explain what affects TV wattage and how to estimate it per hour, per day, and per month. We’ll also break down whether it’s practical to back up your television with solar panels and what it requires.
If you’re ready to switch and harness an inexhaustible energy, get your free solar quote today!
How Much Electricity Does a TV Use?
If you’re wondering how much energy your TV uses, it’s helpful to understand volts (V), amps (A), watts (W), and kilowatt-hours (kWh) first:
- Volts are the “pressure” that pushes electricity through a device. In most U.S. homes, TVs run on 120 V.
- Amps measure how much electric current is flowing. Since a television doesn’t need much, it usually falls between 0.5 and 2 amps, depending on the TV size and screen technology.
- Watts tell how much power the television is using. Most modern TVs use between 50 and 300 watts.
- Kilowatt-hours are what electric power companies use to bill households. While watts show instant energy usage, kWh measures electricity used over time.
The first three are connected by one simple formula:
| Watts = Volts x AmpsorW = V x A |
To put this into practice, let’s imagine your TV runs on 120 volts and pulls about 1 amp while it’s on. To calculate the TV’s wattage, you multiply 120 volts by 1 amp, which equals 120 watts.
How Do Different TV Types Compare in Terms of Wattage?
The number of watts your TV uses largely depends on its size and screen technology – the crisper and more vivid your display is, the more amps it pulls.
Here’s a table that shows how different TV types compare in terms of wattage:
| Type | Average TV Wattage | |
| LED TV 32” | 30–60 W | |
| LED TV 55” | 70–100 W | |
| LED TV 65” | 80–120 W | |
| OLED TV 55” | 90–150 W | |
| Plasma TV 55” | 200–300 W | |
Factors That Affect TV Power Consumption
Even two televisions with the same screen size can use noticeably different amounts of electricity depending on TV specifications and how you use a device.
TV Specifications
Among TV specs, displays are the strongest contributors to electricity consumption. OLED and older plasma TVs use more power, especially during bright and high-contrast scenes. LED TVs are less demanding, particularly those that meet ENERGY STAR standards.
Resolution and screen size also factor in. Higher resolutions mean more pixels to light and refresh, and larger screens require more resources to illuminate the display – both add a lot to the total power consumption.
Source: ResearchGate
Finally, there are smart TV features and standby power. Modern smart televisions do not always fully “turn off”. Mostly, they continue to use a small amount of electricity (typically 0.5 to 3 W) in standby mode to stay connected to Wi-Fi, apps, and voice controls. This is called standby power, and it accumulates if your household has multiple smart devices.
How You Use a Television
Your TV settings and the viewing mode determine how much power your TV pulls. Higher brightness, more vivid colors, HDR, and gaming modes, for instance – all require extra energy.
On the flip side, eco and energy-saving modes noticeably reduce power consumption with minimal impact on display quality.
How Many Watts Does a TV Use per Hour?
As explained earlier, electricity usage is billed in kilowatt-hours (kWh), a measure that represents how much energy your TV draws over time. Here’s the formula:
| Kilowatt-Hours = (Watts ÷ 1,000) × Viewing Hours |
If, for example, you have a 55″ OLED TV from the LG B56LA series, it usually draws around 77 – 135 watts, which translates into 0.077 – 0.135 kWh for every hour of watching.
How Much Does a TV Cost To Run?
If your TV consumes 100 watts on average, that means every hour it’s on, it’s drawing about 0.1 kilowatt-hour of electricity, which – based on an average rate of $0.17 per kWh – converts into 1.7 cents. In everyday life, it would be $0.085 for every 5 hours of watching and $0.408 for every 24 hours.
If we project those numbers over a month, here is what we get:
- About $2.55 per month for 5 hours of daily viewing
- About $12.24 per month if the TV runs all day
As this example proves, even a high-end OLED TV can stay relatively affordable to run. This example also clearly shows how long daily usage makes the biggest difference in your electric bill, apart from the TV’s model and design.
Powering TVs With Solar Panels
For most US households, a solar panel kit with 200 – 400W solar panels is more than enough to run a TV for several hours a day. It’s recommended that you specifically look for lithium-based batteries (like LiFePO₄) with 500 – 1,000Wh capacity, built-in inverters, and multiple AC outlets. They’re compact, run quietly, and are designed for everyday appliances like TVs.
If you are an RV owner, rooftop and foldable solar panels can power your TV, allowing you to enjoy your favorite shows while traveling, camping, or when parked off-grid.
All in all, televisions draw steady, predictable power, making them among the easiest devices to support with solar energy, whether at home, on the road, or during outages.
Source: Jackery
Enjoy grid-free television with a reliable solar panel system – click here for a free solar quote!
FAQ
How much electricity does a TV use in standby or sleep mode?
Most modern TVs use about 0.5 to 3 watts in standby or sleep mode, and also draw extra power to stay connected to Wi-Fi, apps, and background updates.
Can a TV run directly on solar panels without a battery?
No. TVs require a stable, uninterrupted power supply, and solar panels alone can’t provide it. You need a solar battery or portable power station to stabilize power and allow consistent watching even when sunlight drops.
How long can a TV run on a solar battery during a power outage?
Battery size and TV wattage determine how long a TV can run on a solar battery during outages. A 1,000Wh solar battery, for example, can run a 120-watt TV for 7 to 8 hours when fully charged; smaller solar batteries of about 500Wh can provide 3 to 4 hours of viewing.
