How Many Watts Does a TV Use? By Screen Size, From the Federal Label Data
By Seamless Home Team, Home services operations · October 1, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026
Quick answer
A modern TV typically uses somewhere between about 50 and 200 watts while the screen is on, but the honest answer depends heavily on size and model. The FTC's EnergyGuide ranges — the yearly cost printed on every new set's label, figured at 5 hours a day and 16 cents per kWh — work back to roughly 45 to 175 watts for a 40–44 inch TV, about 80 to 235 watts for a 55–59 inch TV, and about 90 to 380 watts for a 65–69 inch TV, from the most efficient model in each size to the least. Standby is usually a watt or two at most. At 100 watts for 5 hours a day, a TV uses 0.5 kWh a day, about 183 kWh a year, or roughly $29 a year at 16 cents per kWh. The EnergyGuide label on your own set gives its figure directly; divide the kWh per year by 1,825 hours to get its approximate on-mode watts.
Most charts of TV wattage give one tidy number per screen size. The federal data says the real range is much wider: two 65-inch sets on the same shelf can differ by a factor of four. The good news is that every new TV sold in the US carries a label that lets you work out its figure without a meter.
Watts by screen size, from the EnergyGuide ranges
The FTC requires an EnergyGuide label on new televisions showing an estimated yearly energy cost, figured at 5 hours a day in on mode and 19 hours in standby, at 16 cents per kWh. Alongside each model's own figure, the label shows the range of costs for comparable models — the cheapest and most expensive set to run in that size class. The FTC updated those ranges in a 2024 rule.
Working that cost back gives watts: divide by $0.16 for kWh a year, then by 1,825 hours (5 hours × 365 days). Standby is small enough to ignore at this precision.
| Screen size | Yearly cost on the label | kWh a year | Average watts while on |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24–29" | $5–$15 | ~31–94 | ~17–51 W |
| 30–34" | $8–$30 | ~50–188 | ~27–103 W |
| 40–44" | $13–$51 | ~81–319 | ~45–175 W |
| 50–54" | $22–$51 | ~138–319 | ~75–175 W |
| 55–59" | $24–$69 | ~150–431 | ~82–236 W |
| 60–64" | $29–$113 | ~181–706 | ~99–387 W |
| 65–69" | $27–$110 | ~169–688 | ~92–377 W |
| 70" and up | $32–$155 | ~200–969 | ~110–531 W |
The costs on the label are rounded to whole dollars, so the derived watts are approximate. The low end of each row is the most efficient model in that class, the high end the least; most mainstream sets fall somewhere between.
Two things stand out. Size alone is a weak guide — the most efficient 65-inch set uses less than the least efficient 40-inch one. And the top of each range is far above the "100 watts" figure that gets repeated for living-room TVs.
Why the range is so wide
- Backlight and panel technology. An LED-backlit LCD draws according to its backlight, more or less regardless of what is on screen. An OLED lights each pixel, so dark scenes cost little and a bright, full-white screen costs much more.
- Brightness and picture mode. The label is measured in the set's default picture setting. A "vivid" or store mode with the backlight at maximum can draw well above the labelled average, and a dimmer "movie" mode below it.
- HDR. High-dynamic-range content drives highlights much brighter than standard content, and the draw rises with it.
- Features. Local dimming, high refresh rates and built-in sound all move the number.
The EnergyGuide figure is a fair comparison between models because every set is tested the same way. It is not a promise about your evening, which depends on how you set the picture.
Your own set's number
- Read its EnergyGuide figure if you still have the label or can find the model's listing: divide the kWh per year by 1,825 for the approximate on-mode watts.
- Read the rating label on the back for the input watts or amps — a maximum, not an average. How many amps a TV uses explains what that label is for.
- Measure it. A plug-in energy meter at your usual picture setting gives the real figure, and some sets report their own consumption in an energy menu.
What a TV costs to run
Watts × hours of viewing gives watt-hours; divide by 1,000 for kWh and multiply by your rate.
- 100 W × 5 hours a day = 0.5 kWh a day, about 183 kWh a year — roughly $29 a year at 16¢
- 60 W × 4 hours a day = 0.24 kWh a day, about 88 kWh a year — roughly $14 a year
- 300 W × 6 hours a day = 1.8 kWh a day, about 657 kWh a year — roughly $105 a year
Your rate is on your electricity bill and may be well above or below 16¢. The watts to kWh calculator runs the same arithmetic with your hours and rate. Next to the whole house, even a large TV is a small share of the bill — a refrigerator running all day and night usually uses more, as how many watts a refrigerator uses works through.
Standby
The label assumes 19 hours a day in standby. On a modern set that is typically well under a watt to a couple of watts — at 1 watt, about 7 kWh a year, around a dollar. Network standby or "quick start" features that keep the set ready to wake instantly can raise it. Switching those off, or putting the TV, soundbar and streaming box on a switched strip, brings it back down.
Running a TV on a battery or power station
A TV is an easy load for backup power: it has no motor, so there is no large starting surge to cover. What matters is the running watts and the hours.
- A 500 Wh power station at an assumed 85 percent inverter efficiency delivers about 425 Wh — roughly 4 hours of a 100 W TV, or about 7 hours of a 60 W set.
- Add the soundbar, streaming box and router to the load; together they can approach the TV itself. A games console is a bigger addition — how many watts a PS5 uses has Sony's measured figures.
The watt-hours to amp-hours calculator turns a watt-hour budget into amp-hours at a battery's voltage.
When a home battery is being planned, the TV and the rest of the living room are usually one circuit among the ones worth keeping, and the list matters more than any single appliance. On the home battery and backup projects Seamless Home coordinates, the backed-up circuits are settled during design — get a free estimate to start one. Coverage is confirmed per service area rather than promised as blanket availability.
Frequently asked questions
How many watts does a TV use?
Typically about 50 to 200 watts while on, depending on screen size, panel technology and brightness. Worked back from the FTC's EnergyGuide ranges, the most efficient 55–59 inch sets average roughly 80 watts in on mode and the least efficient about 235; for 65–69 inch sets the range is about 90 to 380 watts. Standby adds a watt or two at most on a modern set.
How many watts does a 65 inch TV use?
Roughly 90 to 380 watts on average while on, by the FTC label ranges for 65–69 inch sets, which run from $27 to $110 a year at 5 hours a day and 16 cents per kWh. Most mainstream LED models sit toward the lower half; very bright LCDs and some large OLEDs sit higher. HDR content and a bright picture mode can push any set above its labelled average for a scene.
How many watts does a 55 inch TV use?
About 80 to 235 watts on average while on, from the FTC ranges for 55–59 inch sets ($24 to $69 a year on the label). The label for your set gives its own estimate: divide its kWh per year by 1,825 hours (5 hours a day for a year) for the approximate on-mode watts.
How much does it cost to run a TV?
Multiply watts by hours to get watt-hours, divide by 1,000 for kWh, and multiply by your electricity rate. A 100 watt TV on for 5 hours a day uses 0.5 kWh a day and about 183 kWh a year — roughly $29 a year at 16 cents per kWh, the rate the FTC now uses on TV labels. Your own rate is on your utility bill.
How many watts does a TV use on standby?
Usually well under a watt to a couple of watts on a modern set. The FTC label assumes 19 hours a day in standby, and even at 1 watt that is only about 7 kWh a year. A smart TV with quick-start or network standby features turned on can draw more; switching them off, or using a switched strip, brings it down.
Do OLED TVs use more power than LED TVs?
It depends on the picture. An OLED lights each pixel individually, so dark scenes draw little and bright full-screen scenes draw much more. An LED-backlit LCD draws according to its backlight setting, more or less regardless of content. At similar sizes and brightness the two are in the same general range; compare the EnergyGuide labels of the specific models rather than the technologies.
How long will a power station run a TV?
Divide the station's usable watt-hours by the TV's watts, after allowing for inverter loss. A 500 Wh station at an assumed 85 percent efficiency delivers about 425 Wh, which runs a 100 watt TV for roughly 4 hours, or a 60 watt set for about 7. Add the soundbar and streaming box to the load if they will be on too.