Discover How Many Watts Does A Tv Use Per Day (Guide)

How Many Watts Does A Tv Use Per Day
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Discover How Many Watts Does A Tv Use Per Day (Guide)

So, you want to know how many watts a TV uses per day? On average, a modern TV uses about 50 to 200 watts when it’s on, depending on the size and type. This means it uses a small amount of electricity each day. The exact number depends on how long you watch it and what kind of TV it is. We will look into this more so you know exactly what affects your electricity bill.

What are Watts and Why They Matter for Your TV

Think of watts as a measure of how much power something uses at one time. When you see a number like “100 watts” on your TV, it means it needs that much power to run right then.

Your electricity bill measures how much energy you use over time. This is often measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). One kilowatt-hour is using 1000 watts for one hour.

Knowing your TV’s watts helps you figure out its TV power consumption per hour. This is the first step to finding out its average TV energy usage over a day or a month.

It’s like knowing how fast your car uses gas per hour. It helps you guess how much gas you’ll use on a trip. For your TV, it helps you guess the cost of running a television.

Watts Used by Different TV Types

Not all TVs use the same amount of power. Older TVs used a lot more energy than new ones. The size of the TV also changes how much power it uses. A bigger screen needs more power to light it up.

Let’s look at how much watts different kinds of TVs typically use:

Older TV Kinds

CRT (Tube TVs): These are the old, bulky TVs. They used a lot of power. A medium-sized CRT TV might use 100 to 150 watts or even more.
Plasma TVs: These flat screen TVs were popular before LED. They also used a lot of power, often more than LCD or LED TVs of the same size. A 42-inch plasma TV could use 250 to 400 watts when on.

Newer Flat Screen TV Kinds

This is how much electricity does a flat screen TV use. Most TVs sold today are flat screens. But even flat screens use different amounts of power.

LCD (Liquid Crystal Display): These were the first widely popular flat screens. They used backlights to make the picture. Power use is less than plasma but more than newer LED types. A 40-inch LCD might use around 120-150 watts.
LED (Light Emitting Diode): Most modern TVs are LED TVs. They use LED lights for the backlight. These are more energy-efficient than older LCD backlights. Watts used by different TV types here can vary a lot based on technology.
- A 40-inch LED TV might use just 50-80 watts.
- A 55-inch LED TV might use 80-120 watts.
- A large 65-inch LED TV might use 100-150 watts.
OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode): These are high-end flat screens. They use power differently because each tiny dot on the screen makes its own light.
- Power use depends on what is on the screen. A bright white screen uses more power than a dark screen.
- A 55-inch OLED TV might use 100-150 watts on average, but it can be lower for dark scenes.
- A 65-inch OLED TV might use 120-180 watts on average.

Electricity Usage of a Smart TV

Most new TVs are smart TVs. They connect to the internet and have apps like Netflix and YouTube. Does being “smart” use more power?

Yes, sometimes. A smart TV uses a little power even when you are not watching it. It might be doing things in the background, like checking for updates or staying connected to the network.

However, the biggest part of a smart TV’s power use is still the screen itself when it’s on. The “smart” part adds only a small amount compared to the screen. So, the main point is still the screen type and size when thinking about the TV power consumption per hour while watching.

Here’s a simple table to show the typical watts used when a TV is on:

TV Type	Size (Inches)	Typical Watts Used (When On)
Old CRT (Tube)	32	100 – 150
Plasma	42	250 – 400
Older LCD	40	120 – 150
Modern LED	40	50 – 80
Modern LED	55	80 – 120
Modern LED	65	100 – 150
Modern OLED	55	100 – 150
Modern OLED	65	120 – 180

Remember, these are just average numbers. Your specific TV might use a bit more or less. You can often find the exact power use on a sticker on the back of the TV or in the user manual.

Grasping Factors Affecting TV Power Consumption

Okay, so the type and size of the TV matter a lot. But other things can change how many watts your TV uses when it’s on. These are the factors affecting TV power consumption.

Let’s look at what else makes a difference:

Brightness Settings

The brightness of your TV screen has a big impact. A brighter picture needs more power to light up the screen. If your TV’s brightness is set to max, it will use more watts than if it’s set lower.

Turning down the brightness is one easy way to reduce your TV power consumption per hour. Most people don’t need the screen to be super bright for a good picture, especially in a room that isn’t very sunny.

Picture Settings and Modes

Modern TVs have different picture modes like “Standard,” “Dynamic,” “Cinema,” or “Vivid.” Some of these modes make the picture look more punchy or vibrant.

Often, modes like “Dynamic” or “Vivid” increase brightness, contrast, and color levels a lot. This can make the TV use more power.

Using a standard or cinema mode might save you some energy. Some TVs even have an “Eco Mode” or “Energy Saving Mode.” These modes are designed to use less power by lowering brightness or making other small changes.

The Content You Watch

This is especially true for OLED TVs, but it also affects other TVs a little. What is on the screen changes power use.

Watching a very bright movie with lots of white scenes? The TV uses more power to light up all those bright parts.
Watching a dark movie with lots of black scenes (like a space movie)? The TV uses less power, especially OLEDs, because black pixels use almost no power.

So, while you probably won’t choose what to watch based on power use, it’s good to know it plays a small part.

Age of the TV

Older TVs are generally less energy-efficient than newer ones. Just like old cars use more gas, old electronics often use more electricity. Technology gets better at doing the same job with less power over time.

An old 10-year-old flat screen TV might use 50% more power than a new one of the same size and type.

Connected Devices

Things plugged into your TV, like game consoles, streaming sticks (like Roku or Fire Stick), or Blu-ray players, also use power. This power use is separate from the TV’s power use, but they are often used together.

Some devices get power from the TV’s USB port. This adds a tiny amount to the TV’s power use. Others plug directly into the wall.

While the TV’s own power consumption is the main focus here, remember that the total electricity used by your entertainment setup is more than just the TV itself.

Software Updates and Background Tasks

For smart TVs, sometimes the TV is doing things even when you aren’t watching. It might download updates, connect to the internet, or run small tasks. This adds a tiny bit to the overall electricity usage of a smart TV, even in standby mode.

Power Used When the TV is Off (Standby)

Your TV uses a small amount of power even when you turn it off with the remote. This is called standby power consumption of TV. It’s the power needed for the TV to listen for the remote signal, keep its settings, or run quick-start features.

In the past, standby power could be quite high, maybe 10-20 watts. But modern rules and better technology have reduced this a lot.

Today, most new TVs use less than 1 watt in standby mode. Some use even less, like 0.5 watts.

While 1 watt seems tiny, think about how many hours your TV is not on during the day or night. It adds up slowly.

If a TV uses 1 watt in standby for 20 hours a day (because you watch it for 4 hours), that’s 20 watt-hours. Over a month (30 days), that’s 600 watt-hours, or 0.6 kWh. This is usually a very small part of your electricity bill, but it’s not zero power use.

To truly use zero power when the TV is off, you need to unplug it from the wall or use a power strip and switch it off completely.

Seeing Energy Labels Clearly: Energy Efficiency Rating for TVs

When you buy a new TV, you often see an energy label on the box or the TV itself. This is the energy efficiency rating for TVs. These labels are there to help you choose a TV that uses less power.

These labels show important information:

Energy Efficiency Class: This is like a grade, usually from A+++ (most efficient) down to D (least efficient). A TV with a higher class uses less energy for its size and type.
Annual Energy Consumption: This number tells you how many kilowatt-hours (kWh) the TV is estimated to use in a year. This is based on watching it for a set number of hours each day (often 4 hours). This number gives you a direct idea of the average TV energy usage over a long time.
Power On Mode Power Consumption: This shows the typical watts the TV uses when it is turned on. This is the number we talked about earlier. It’s given in watts (W).

Looking at this label can really help you compare TVs. A TV with a better energy efficiency rating will cost less to run over time. Even if two TVs have the same size screen, one might be much more efficient than the other.

For example, two 55-inch LED TVs might look similar. But one might have an A++ rating and use 90 watts, while the other has an A rating and uses 120 watts. The A++ TV will save you money on electricity over its life.

Putting it Together: Calculate TV Electricity Cost

Now that we know how many watts a TV uses and how long you watch it, we can calculate TV electricity cost. This tells you the cost of running a television.

Here are the simple steps:

Find the TV’s power use when on: Look for the watts (W) on the energy label or in the manual. Let’s say your TV uses 100 watts when on.
Figure out how many hours you watch per day: Let’s say you watch TV for 4 hours each day.
Calculate watt-hours per day: Multiply the watts by the hours watched.
- 100 watts * 4 hours = 400 watt-hours per day.
Convert watt-hours to kilowatt-hours (kWh): Divide by 1000 (because 1 kWh = 1000 Wh).
- 400 Wh / 1000 = 0.4 kWh per day. This is the TV’s energy usage per day while watching.
Add standby power: Find the standby power (usually less than 1 watt). Let’s say it’s 0.5 watts. Figure out how many hours the TV is in standby (24 hours total – 4 hours watching = 20 hours standby).
- 0.5 watts * 20 hours = 10 watt-hours in standby per day.
- Convert standby watt-hours to kWh: 10 Wh / 1000 = 0.01 kWh per day in standby.
Total kWh per day: Add the watching kWh and the standby kWh.
- 0.4 kWh (watching) + 0.01 kWh (standby) = 0.41 kWh per day. This is your total average TV energy usage per day.
Find your electricity price: Look at your electricity bill. The price is usually given in cents or dollars per kWh. Let’s say your price is 15 cents per kWh ($0.15/kWh).
Calculate the cost per day: Multiply the total kWh per day by your electricity price per kWh.
- 0.41 kWh/day * $0.15/kWh = $0.0615 per day. This is about 6 cents a day.
Calculate the cost per month: Multiply the daily cost by the number of days in a month (about 30).
- $0.0615/day * 30 days = $1.845 per month. This is about $1.85 per month.
Calculate the cost per year: Multiply the daily cost by 365 days.
- $0.0615/day * 365 days = $22.45 per year.

So, in this example, running this TV costs about $22.45 per year.

This shows that the cost of running a television is usually not very high, especially for modern, energy-efficient models.

Let’s do another example with a bigger, less efficient TV.

Imagine a 65-inch plasma TV from years ago that uses 300 watts when on. You watch it for 4 hours a day. Standby is 5 watts. Electricity price is $0.15/kWh.

Watts when on: 300 W
Hours watched: 4 hours
Watt-hours watching: 300 W * 4 h = 1200 Wh
kWh watching: 1200 Wh / 1000 = 1.2 kWh
Standby watts: 5 W
Standby hours: 20 hours
Standby watt-hours: 5 W * 20 h = 100 Wh
Standby kWh: 100 Wh / 1000 = 0.1 kWh
Total kWh per day: 1.2 kWh + 0.1 kWh = 1.3 kWh per day. This is the average TV energy usage per day for this old TV.
Cost per day: 1.3 kWh/day * $0.15/kWh = $0.195 per day. This is about 19.5 cents a day.
Cost per month: $0.195/day * 30 days = $5.85 per month.
Cost per year: $0.195/day * 365 days = $71.18 per year.

See the difference? The older, less efficient TV costs about $71 per year to run, compared to $22 for the newer, more efficient one. This highlights why the energy efficiency rating for TVs and the watts used by different TV types matter for the cost of running a television.

Ways to Use Less TV Power

Even with a modern TV, you can do a few simple things to cut down on the electricity it uses. Lowering your TV power consumption per hour and reducing standby use can save you a little money over time.

Here are some tips:

Lower the brightness: This is one of the easiest and most effective ways. Go into your TV’s settings menu. Find the picture settings and lower the brightness level. You’ll likely find a level that looks good without being too bright.
Use Energy Saving Mode: Many TVs have a special energy-saving mode or “Eco Mode.” Turn this on. It often makes small changes to brightness and other settings to use less power.
Turn the TV off when no one is watching: This sounds simple, but it helps. Don’t leave the TV on in an empty room.
Use a timer: If you often fall asleep watching TV, use the sleep timer. The TV will turn itself off after a set time.
Turn off quick start features: Some smart TVs have a “quick start” or “instant on” feature. This lets the TV turn on faster, but it uses more standby power consumption of TV to do it. If you don’t mind waiting a few extra seconds for the TV to start, turn this feature off in the settings.
Unplug devices you aren’t using: While this isn’t the TV itself, devices like game consoles plugged into the TV can use power even when off. Unplug them if you want to save every bit of energy.
Use a smart power strip: A smart power strip can turn off power to the TV and connected devices when the main device (the TV) is turned off or goes into standby. This completely cuts off standby power.
Think about screen size and type when buying: As shown in the cost examples, choosing a smaller or more energy-efficient TV type (like LED over Plasma, or a higher energy efficiency class) can save you money on electricity for years.

Wrapping Up Your TV’s Energy Use

So, how many watts does a TV use per day? It really depends! It’s usually between 0.5 kWh and 2 kWh per day for most flat screen TVs, depending on size, type, settings, and how long you watch.

We looked at the watts used by different TV types, from old tube TVs to new OLEDs. We saw how much electricity does a flat screen TV use is much less than older models.

We learned that the TV power consumption per hour changes based on brightness and picture settings. We also saw how standby power consumption of TV adds a little bit to the total average TV energy usage.

We figured out how to calculate TV electricity cost by using the watts and your electricity price. This helps you see the cost of running a television.

Remember the factors affecting TV power consumption: size, type, settings, and age. Checking the energy efficiency rating for TVs helps you pick a power-saving model.

Making small changes like lowering brightness or using a sleep timer can help save energy and lower your electricity bill a little. While a TV usually isn’t the biggest energy user in your home, being smart about how you use it is good for your wallet and the planet.

Knowing how much power your TV uses helps you make better choices. It helps you buy TVs that use less energy and change your habits to save power.

Frequently Asked Questions About TV Power Use

h4: Does a bigger TV use a lot more electricity?

Yes, generally a bigger TV uses more power. A larger screen needs more watts to light up. Going from a 40-inch LED to a 65-inch LED TV can easily double the watts used when it’s on.

h4: Is a Smart TV always using electricity?

A smart TV uses a little bit of electricity even when it’s off. This is for standby tasks and staying connected. But this standby power consumption of TV is usually very low (under 1 watt) for new models.

h4: How much electricity does a 55-inch TV use per day?

A 55-inch modern LED TV might use 80-120 watts when on. If you watch it for 4 hours, that’s 320-480 watt-hours. Plus a little for standby. Total could be around 0.4 to 0.6 kWh per day. An older 55-inch TV could use more.

h4: Is it cheaper to run an LED TV or an OLED TV?

It depends on what you watch. LED TVs use power more evenly. OLED TV power use changes a lot based on screen content. For very dark content, OLED uses less power than LED. For very bright content, OLED might use about the same or slightly more than a good LED. Overall, they are both much more efficient than old plasma or CRT TVs.

h4: Does lowering the volume change how much power my TV uses?

No, changing the volume does not significantly change the TV’s power use. The main power use is the screen itself. The speakers use very little power compared to the display.

h4: Does gaming on my TV use more power than watching a movie?

The game content on the screen can affect power use, similar to movies (bright scenes vs. dark scenes). But typically, the biggest power user when gaming is the game console itself, not the TV displaying the game.

h4: Does the HDMI cable use electricity?

No, the cable itself does not use electricity from the wall. It carries data and power signals between devices, but it doesn’t draw power from the home outlet to operate.

h4: How can I find the exact watts my TV uses?

Look for a sticker on the back of your TV. It often lists the power consumption in watts. Check your TV’s user manual or the manufacturer’s website. For the most accurate reading, you could use a power meter tool that plugs between the TV and the wall outlet.

h4: Does turning the TV off with a power strip save more energy than using the remote?

Yes. Turning it off with the remote puts the TV in standby mode, where it uses a very small amount of power (usually less than 1 watt). Turning off the power strip completely cuts the electricity supply, so the TV uses zero watts. Over a year, this small saving can add up a little.