How many kWh does a television use?

There is no single figure. Electricity consumption depends on the specific model and how it is configured. Two screens of the same size may behave differently depending on the technology they use or the brightness level, for example.

To get a rough idea of your appliance’s actual energy consumption, the most accurate approach is to refer to the standardised data on its energy label.

Energy consumption in kWh/1,000 hours

The key energy consumption figure is shown on your television’s energy label and is expressed in kWh per 1,000 hours of operation. This figure indicates how much energy the television will consume over a period of 1,000 hours.

A very useful rule of thumb is that the numerical value in kWh/1,000 h corresponds to the television’s average power consumption expressed in watts (W). For example, if your label states 60 kWh/1,000 h, your television has an average power consumption of approximately 60 W.

How to calculate hourly consumption

Simply divide the kWh/1,000 h figure on the label by 1,000. So, going back to the previous example, if you have a television whose energy label states a consumption of 60 kWh/1,000 h, the calculation would be as follows: 60 kWh ÷ 1,000 h = 0.06 kW.

With this figure, you can then calculate your daily consumption (3 hours a day, for example): 0.06 kW × 3 h = 0.18 kWh. Or calculate the consumption during a 90-minute match: 0.06 kW × 1.5 h = 0.09 kWh. This will give you an estimate tailored to your specific TV model, rather than relying on generic wattage figures.

How to find out how much electricity your television actually uses

In Europe, there are three options available to the public for checking the energy consumption of products such as televisions:

• Option A: Check the energy label. As we’ve been saying, the European Union’s energy label is the first point of reference you can consult. Since March 2021, the labelling has used a scale from A to G. Furthermore, this sticker must show the specific energy consumption for SDR and HDR in kWh/1,000 h, the screen size in inches and centimetres, along with its resolution in pixels.
• Option B: Check the manufacturer's spec sheet. If you no longer have the physical label, you can look up the model’s official technical specifications. These usually include its power consumption in SDR and HDR, the power rating and standby power consumption.
• Option C: Consult the official European EPREL database. From here, you can access the digital energy label and the model’s specific efficiency data.
• Option D: Measure your television’s power consumption. If you’d prefer real data tailored to your viewing habits, you can use a power meter or a smart plug. These devices are plugged in between the wall socket and the television and measure the power consumption of the set in real time. They also allow you to see how power consumption varies depending on the screen brightness, measure the combined power consumption of the television and other devices, or check power consumption whilst the television is on standby.

Television power: W, kW and kWh. Understanding the difference

One of the most common mistakes is to confuse the concepts of power and energy.

What are watts (W)?

The watt (W) is the unit used to measure active electrical power. It indicates the amount of electrical energy an appliance needs to operate. If a television has a power rating of 100 W, this means that at that moment it is drawing that amount of power from the mains.

What are kilowatts (kW)?

A kilowatt (kW) is equal to 1,000 watts: 1 kW = 1,000 W. A 100 W television has a power rating of 0.1 kW. On your bill, the contracted power is measured in kW and represents the limit on the number of appliances you can switch on at the same time before the power limiter kicks in.

What are kWh?

A kilowatt-hour (kWh) does not measure power, but rather the energy consumed. It represents the total amount of electricity used over a given period and is calculated as follows:

"Power (kW) × time of use (h) = consumption (kWh)"

To understand this better using the analogy of a tap, the kW would be the width of the tap (which determines how much water can flow out) and the kWh would be the total volume of water collected in the bucket after keeping the tap running for a certain time.

How to work out how much it costs to leave the television on

Now that you know how to find out your television’s energy consumption, working out how much it costs to leave it on is very simple. Once you know how much energy it uses and the price you pay per kWh, you have everything you need:

"Cost (€) = Consumption (kWh) × Price of electricity (€/kWh)"

If you know the kWh/1,000 h figure on the label

Here’s a step-by-step guide to calculating the cost:

1. Check the figure on the TV’s label, for example: 60 kWh/ 1,000 h.
2. Check the price of electricity, for example: 0.1090 €/kWh*.
3. Calculate hourly consumption: 60 ÷ 1,000 = 0.06 kW.
4. Calculate the cost per hour: 0.06 × 0.1090 = €0.00654.
5. Calculate the cost based on your usage, for example, 3 hours a day: 0.00654 × 3 = €0.02.

If you only know the power in watts

If you don’t have the label but know the power rating of the appliance, you must first convert the watts to kilowatts by dividing by 1,000. Then, multiply by the number of hours of use:

"kWh = Power (W) ÷ 1,000 × hours of use"

For example, a 150 W television used for 3 hours a day:

• Step 1: 150 W ÷ 1,000 = 0.15 kW.
• Step 2: 0.15 kW × 3 h = 0.45 kWh.
• Step 3: 0.45 kWh × €0.1090/kWh *= €0.05.

How much does it cost to watch it for an hour, a month and a year?

For example, if we have a television that uses 100 kWh/1,000 h, is used for 3 hours a day and costs 0.1090 €/kWh*:

• 1 hour: €0.0109.
• 1 day (3 hours): €0.0327.
• 1 month (90 hours): €0.981.
• 1 year (1,095 hours): €11.93.

*The price of €0.1090/kWh corresponds to the current cost (excluding tax) of Endesa's Tarifa Conecta Light Tariff for September 2026. You will need to carry out the calculation based on the terms and rates of your own actual electricity bill.

Why does a television use more power in HDR than in SDR?

Current energy labels show SDR and HDR power consumption separately. In almost all cases, power consumption in HDR tends to be higher than in SDR.

What are SDR and HDR?

• SDR (Standard Dynamic Range): This is the traditional video transmission mode, with a standard brightness range and colour palette.
• HDR (High Dynamic Range): This allows for the reproduction of a much wider dynamic range of light and a much broader colour gamut, aiming for extremely bright whites and very deep blacks. To achieve this, an HDR television needs to increase its backlighting and the power of its lights. This is why HDR consumption is higher.

Does a television use more energy the larger it is?

The general rule is that the larger the screen size, the higher the electricity consumption. However, this rule does not always hold true, and a large, modern television can be more efficient than a smaller, older one.

Let’s take a real TV model in three different sizes (55”, 65” and 75”) as a reference and carry out a brief comparison:

As we can see from the table, the rule that the larger the size, the greater the power required, holds true. However, actual power consumption also depends on other factors, such as the screen technology and the television’s energy efficiency.

LED, QLED or OLED: which TV uses the most power?

Screen technology is one of the factors that has the greatest impact on power consumption, even more so than screen size in many cases. However, it is not advisable to lay down absolute rules; each technology behaves differently depending on the content being played:

• LED: The power consumption of a standard LED TV is fairly consistent, as the power demand varies very little depending on the scene. These screens use a backlight that remains on behind the pixels. Current LED models consume up to 25 per cent less power than older LCD screens.
• QLED: QLED televisions use enhanced LED technology that adds a layer of quantum dots to improve colours and achieve higher brightness levels. As they also rely on backlighting, their power consumption is similar to that of standard LED panels, although it can increase significantly when HDR mode is activated.
• OLED: The power consumption of an OLED TV works differently, as it has no backlight. Each pixel generates its own light and can be switched off completely to display the colour black. Therefore, its power consumption depends directly on what you are watching. It can be very efficient when watching films with dark scenes, but may use more power than an equivalent LED TV when showing football matches or very bright backgrounds.

Does an older television use more energy than a modern one?

The answer depends on many factors, but generally speaking, an older television tends to use more energy than a modern one with LED technology. However, the panel technology, the size and the efficiency of its internal components also play a part.

How to compare your current TV with a new one

Before replacing a TV that still works simply to save energy, it’s worth working out whether it’s worth it and how long it will take to recoup those savings. We’ll take you through the process step by step:

1. Find out how much energy your current TV uses: use an energy meter for a week or look up its power rating if you still have the technical specifications.
2. Find out the energy consumption of the new TV: check the kWh/1,000 h figure on its energy label.
3. Calculate the annual difference: multiply the difference in kWh by your electricity tariff.
4. Calculate the payback period: divide the purchase price of the new TV by the annual saving.

If your calculation shows that it will take 15 years or more to recoup the cost of the new TV through electricity savings alone, it isn’t worth replacing it for purely energy-related reasons. In this case, the real value of upgrading will come from the improved picture quality, not from savings on your electricity bill.

What factors can increase your TV’s energy consumption

Before you continue, you should be aware that the energy consumption shown on the energy label is measured under standardised conditions. In real-world use, the settings you choose may affect energy consumption.

Brightness and picture mode

The brightness level is the setting that has the greatest impact on power consumption. Televisions are usually set at the factory with the brightness at maximum and highly saturated picture modes. Leaving these settings unchanged can cause energy consumption to skyrocket. Selecting Cinema or Calibrated mode reduces the backlighting. Reducing the overall brightness to 50 per cent or 60 per cent also helps to save energy.

Eco mode and automatic brightness

Most smart TVs nowadays feature an energy-saving mode, or Eco mode, which optimises the brightness according to the light in the room.

Screen resolution and size

Resolution can also affect energy consumption. A television with 4K or 8K resolution has millions of additional pixels to manage and requires more powerful image processors, which tends to increase baseline power consumption compared with simpler Full HD screens.

How much energy does a television use when switched off or on standby?

Although the energy consumption of a single device on standby may be imperceptible, keeping several devices permanently switched on can add up to a constant drain on energy.

When you switch off the television using the remote control, it goes into standby mode. It continues to draw power to keep the infrared receiver active or to remain connected to the Wi-Fi network to receive automatic updates or respond to voice assistants.

Currently, the European Union’s eco-design regulations set a maximum limit of:

• 0.30 W in the off mode.
• 0.50 W in conventional standby mode.
• 2 W in mains-connected standby mode.

How to calculate the annual cost of standby power

If we take the conventional maximum standby power of 0.5 W as an example, and assume the device is in standby for 21 hours a day, this would amount to 3.65 kWh per year. Taking into account the price of €0.1090 per kWh mentioned above, this would come to a total of €0.40 per year.

As you can see, on a modern television, standby mode alone won’t cause your bill to skyrocket. However, the calculation changes if we add in other devices in the living room.

So, is it worth unplugging it?

In terms of financial savings, there’s not much point in making a point of unplugging a modern, working television every day, as the annual savings are very small.

It is, however, advisable to do so during prolonged absences, with older equipment, or when you want to switch off the entire audio-visual system completely.

How to reduce your TV’s energy consumption

If you want to improve the energy efficiency of your living room without spending a single euro, there are a few simple habits you can adopt.

• Adjust the brightness and use the right mode: Lowering the overall brightness to 50% or 60%, or switching to Cinema or Calibrated mode, is an immediate way to reduce energy consumption.
• Enable energy-saving features: Keep the automatic brightness sensor switched on and set the screen to switch off after a period of inactivity to avoid leaving it on by mistake.
• Avoid leaving it on when not in use: If you use the TV as “background noise” whilst doing other tasks, remember that the screen continues to use energy, even if you’re not watching it.
• Check connected devices: The TV isn’t the only appliance that uses energy. A modern games console can use between 150 W and 200 W when in use, exceeding the TV’s own energy consumption. Set-top boxes, streaming devices such as Chromecast or Apple TV, and soundbars also contribute to energy use. Unplug any peripherals you aren’t using completely.

FAQs about television energy consumption

How many kWh does a television use per hour?

It depends on the model. For example, if the label states 80 kWh/1,000 h, it consumes 0.08 kW for every hour of standard use.

How much does it cost to have the TV on for an hour?

You must multiply the hourly consumption in kWh by the cost of your tariff. With a television that uses 80 kWh per 1,000 hours and the current price of €0.1090/kWh under Endesa's Conecta Light Tariff (September 2026), the cost is €0.00872 per hour.

How many watts does a television use?

It depends on the model. You can work this out by looking at the kWh/1,000 h figure on the label.

Does an OLED use more power than an LED?

Not necessarily. The OLED panel varies considerably depending on the scene: it may use less power than an LED when playing dark films, but more when displaying football pitches or white backgrounds.

Does a TV using HDR use more power?

Yes. HDR mode significantly increases energy consumption compared with SDR mode, which is reflected in a higher kWh/1,000 h figure on the energy label.

How much power does a TV use in standby mode?

Modern televisions use very little power in standby mode. The specified limit for conventional standby is 0.50 W, whilst network-connected standby can reach 2 W.

Which TV uses the least electricity?

To find the TV that uses the least electricity, compare the absolute values in kWh/1,000 h on the energy label directly, taking into account both the screen size and the type of content you watch at home.