How Many Watts Does a TV Use? LED vs OLED vs Plasma
Modern TVs are incredibly energy-efficient, but display technology and screen size still dictate their power draw. Find out exactly how many watts your TV uses.
The Evolution of TV Power Consumption
If you haven't bought a television in the last decade, you might be surprised by how little power they use today. While old CRT (tube) TVs and early Plasma screens were notorious energy hogs, modern LED and OLED displays are incredibly efficient.
Today, a standard 55-inch LED TV uses roughly 50 to 80 watts of power. This means you can binge-watch your favorite shows all weekend for just pennies on your electric bill.
TV Wattage by Display Technology
The biggest factor in a television's power consumption—aside from its size—is the panel technology it uses to create an image. Here is how the different technologies stack up:
LED (Light Emitting Diode) TVs
LED TVs are currently the most common and the most energy-efficient displays on the market. They use a liquid crystal display (LCD) paired with a backlight made of tiny, highly efficient LEDs. A standard 65-inch LED TV typically uses about 60 to 100 watts.
OLED (Organic LED) TVs
OLED TVs are prized for their perfect black levels and stunning contrast. Unlike LED TVs that have a constant backlight, every single pixel on an OLED screen creates its own light. Because of this, OLED power consumption varies wildly depending on what is on the screen. A dark, moody movie uses very little power, while a bright hockey game uses a lot. On average, a 65-inch OLED TV uses 90 to 130 watts, making them slightly less efficient than standard LEDs.
Plasma TVs (Legacy)
Plasma TVs were the king of picture quality in the 2000s, but they generated a massive amount of heat and consumed absurd amounts of electricity. A 50-inch Plasma TV could easily draw 300 to 500 watts. If you still have a working Plasma TV in your living room, it might be costing you an extra $50 to $100 a year in electricity compared to a modern LED.
| Screen Size | LED TV Wattage | OLED TV Wattage | Plasma TV Wattage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32-inch | 30W - 40W | N/A | 150W - 200W |
| 43-inch | 40W - 55W | 50W - 70W | 200W - 250W |
| 55-inch | 50W - 80W | 80W - 110W | 250W - 350W |
| 65-inch | 60W - 100W | 90W - 130W | 350W - 500W |
| 75-inch+ | 90W - 150W | 130W - 180W | 500W+ |
How Much Does It Cost to Run a TV?
Let's calculate the annual cost of running a modern 65-inch LED TV that draws 80 watts. We'll assume it is turned on for 5 hours a day, and your electricity rate is $0.15 per kWh.
- Daily Energy: 80 watts × 5 hours = 400 watt-hours (0.4 kWh).
- Annual Energy: 0.4 kWh × 365 days = 146 kWh per year.
- Annual Cost: 146 kWh × $0.15 = $21.90 per year.
As you can see, modern TVs are very cheap to operate, costing less than $2 a month for moderate use.
Vampire Power: Does a TV Use Electricity When Turned Off?
Yes. Modern televisions never truly turn completely off; they go into a "standby" mode. This allows the TV to power on instantly when you hit the remote, keeps it connected to Wi-Fi, and allows it to download firmware updates in the background.
However, thanks to strict energy regulations, this standby power draw is minuscule. A modern TV typically draws 0.5 to 2 watts in standby mode. Over an entire year, this "vampire power" will only cost you about $1 to $2. There is no financial need to unplug your TV from the wall every night.