entertainment · 80W typical

Running a led tv (55-inch) costs about $1.58/month.

That's the typical led tv (55-inch) at 80W, run 4 hours a day at the US-average rate of 16.5¢/kWh. Change any of those and the number moves — use the calculator below to see yours.

Estimated cost

$1.58/month

$0.05 per day$19.27 per year9.60 kWh monthly

Wattage

Hours / day

Your rate

Full-power draw for 4 hours at 16.5¢/kWh.

How you use it

Cost shifts with how long it's on.

The same led tv (55-inch) can cost very different amounts depending on usage patterns. Three common scenarios, at the US-average rate.

nightly watching

$1.58

per month

4 hours of prime-time viewing

4 hrs/day·$19.27/yr

heavy use

$3.17

per month

always-on background TV

8 hrs/day·$38.54/yr

standby

$7.92

per month

off but plugged in — 0.5-2W

20 hrs/day·$96.36/yr

Where you live

$2.87 spread between the cheapest and priciest states.

Same appliance, same hours of use, different zip code — the monthly cost varies this much.

State	Rate	Monthly	Yearly
Hawaii	41.2¢	$3.96	$48.12
California	31.4¢	$3.01	$36.68
Massachusetts	30.8¢	$2.96	$35.97
Connecticut	28.7¢	$2.76	$33.52
Rhode Island	27.9¢	$2.68	$32.59
New Hampshire	24.6¢	$2.36	$28.73
Alaska	24.3¢	$2.33	$28.38
New York	22.3¢	$2.14	$26.05
Maine	22.1¢	$2.12	$25.81
Vermont	21.5¢	$2.06	$25.11
Michigan	19.3¢	$1.85	$22.54
New Jersey	19.1¢	$1.83	$22.31
Maryland	18.4¢	$1.77	$21.49
Pennsylvania	18.1¢	$1.74	$21.14
District of Columbia	17.8¢	$1.71	$20.79
Wisconsin	17.4¢	$1.67	$20.32
Delaware	17.2¢	$1.65	$20.09
Illinois	16.9¢	$1.62	$19.74
Ohio	16.6¢	$1.59	$19.39
Nevada	16.3¢	$1.56	$19.04
Indiana	15.8¢	$1.52	$18.45
Virginia	15.7¢	$1.51	$18.34
Minnesota	15.6¢	$1.50	$18.22
Colorado	15.4¢	$1.48	$17.99
Alabama	15.2¢	$1.46	$17.75
West Virginia	15.2¢	$1.46	$17.75
Florida	15.1¢	$1.45	$17.64
New Mexico	14.8¢	$1.42	$17.29
Texas	14.8¢	$1.42	$17.29
Arizona	14.7¢	$1.41	$17.17
South Carolina	14.7¢	$1.41	$17.17
Kansas	14.6¢	$1.40	$17.05
Georgia	14.2¢	$1.36	$16.59
Iowa	14.1¢	$1.35	$16.47
North Carolina	13.9¢	$1.33	$16.24
Missouri	13.6¢	$1.31	$15.88
Oregon	13.4¢	$1.29	$15.65
Tennessee	13.3¢	$1.28	$15.53
Kentucky	13.2¢	$1.27	$15.42
Mississippi	13.1¢	$1.26	$15.30
Oklahoma	13.1¢	$1.26	$15.30
South Dakota	12.7¢	$1.22	$14.83
Montana	12.4¢	$1.19	$14.48
Nebraska	12.2¢	$1.17	$14.25
Arkansas	12.1¢	$1.16	$14.13
Washington	12.1¢	$1.16	$14.13
Louisiana	11.9¢	$1.14	$13.90
Wyoming	11.6¢	$1.11	$13.55
North Dakota	11.5¢	$1.10	$13.43
Utah	11.4¢	$1.09	$13.32
Idaho	11.3¢	$1.08	$13.20

Efficient vs. inefficient

A $15.66/year difference across the wattage range.

Swapping a high-draw model for an efficient one pays for itself. Here's what that looks like annually at typical usage.

Most efficient

85W

$1.68 per month

$20.48 per year

Typical

80W

$1.58 per month

$19.27 per year

High draw

150W

$2.97 per month

$36.14 per year

When it hits hardest

winter peak

Heavier winter use.

Ways to cut the cost

1
Lower backlight/brightness — eco mode cuts watts 20-30%
Saves 30-50 kWh/year
2
Use a smart plug to kill standby (0.5-2W continuous)
Saves 15-30 kWh/year
3
Disable 'motion smoothing' and ambient light sensor if not needed
Cuts watts 5-10%

Real-world wattages

Pulled from actual spec sheets.

Brand	Model	Watts
Samsung	QN55Q60B 55-inch QLED	110W
LG	OLED55C3PUA 55-inch OLED	120W
TCL	55S455 55-inch 4-Series	85W

Picks that actually move the needle

Three products worth comparing if you're thinking about upgrading or supplementing what you have.

Some links below are affiliate links. If you buy, we may earn a small commission — it never changes the price you pay, and we only recommend picks we would stand behind.

TCL 55-inch Class 4-Series 4K Smart TV

Lower wattage than OLED with good picture

$280-350ENERGY STAR

Govee Smart Plug with Energy Monitor

Cut standby draw when not watching

$18-25

Bias Lighting USB LED Strip

Lets you lower screen brightness 20-40%

$15-25