Are you looking to purchase a TV to connect to your off-grid power supply in a cabin or RV?
Well, an important step in buying a TV especially if you are conscious about your bills is to understand its power consumption (watts) and the likely impact that it has on how much you end up paying for electricity.
Even with an off-grid power system, knowing the TV’s power consumption helps you decide whether connecting and using the TV to the system can affect the smooth running of the off-grid system.
So, in this post, I share:
- estimated power consumption information (watts) for selected flatscreen LED TVs so that you can select a TV that fits your energy budget, and how much you pay for running your TV
Plus energy-saving tips to help you reduce energy consumption.
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How Many Watts a Flat screen LED TV Uses?
This largely depends on the size of the TV but as a rough guide, flat-screen LED TV with sizes ranging from 24 to 65-inch can have a typical power consumption ranging from 24 -93W respectively.
Larger screens tend to consume more power (watts).
Note, the maximum power consumption of these TVs can be as much as double or more depending on user settings and activated features on the TV.
In standby mode, the TV’s power consumption can be as low as 1W.
How to obtain a TV’s real-time power consumption
If you have a plugin power meter that displays watts, you can also obtain information on how much power (watts) the TV is consuming by reading the displayed watts.
The actual watts a TV uses varies depending on:
- how large the TV is its screen size, larger LED TVs generally have a higher power draw compared to smaller TVs.
- additional features on TV. Some TVs have inbuilt features such as DVD players, WIFI access points that increase power consumption
- user settings. For example, how bright the TV screen is or the sound level selected also affect power consumption. The higher the levels, the higher the watts consumed
and lastly, the mode of operation of the TV. Is the TV switched on and running consumes more power than one that is off or in standby mode.
Estimated Number of Watts for Selected LED TVs
The table below shows typical power consumption (watts) for selected LED TVs.
| No. | Flat Screen (Screen size) | *Typical Power Consumption (Watts) |
| 1 | 19″ | 15 |
| 2 | 24″ | 25 |
| 3 | 32″ | 27 |
| 4 | 42″ | 55 |
| 5 | 55″ | 75 |
| 6 | 65″ | 95 |
*The typical power consumption values are estimates. Your TV’s actual power consumption might be different depending on user settings and make.
Also, the maximum power draw of the TV is usually considerably higher.
Always consult the technical specifications section of your TV’s user manual for your TV model’s power consumption.
How Many Watts a LED TV Uses per Hour?
You can obtain the watts a TV uses in an hour (watt-hours), also known as energy by:
- multiplying a TV’s estimated typical power consumption by 1 hour.
For example, using the table above, the TV’s estimated power consumption of a 24″ TV is 25 watts, the watts per hour = 25 x 1 = 25 watt-hours.
How Much Electricity (kWh) a LED TV Uses?
This really depends on the TV model, what settings you make on the TV and how often you use it.
As a guide though, the estimated energy use of a LED TV can range from 35 – 150 kWh annually for a 24 to 65-inch TV respectively.
These estimates assume 5 hours of TV use per day.
Assuming the same usage behavior for two TVs, the larger LED TV generally uses more electricity than the smaller LED TV.
How Much Electricity (kWh) a LED TV Uses in a Day?
Using the electricity consumption data above the estimated daily electricity consumption (kWh) can range from 96 Wh for the 24-inch and 0.4kWh for the 65-inch LED TV.
The estimates assume 5 hours of TV per day.
How Much Electricity (kWh) a LED TV Uses in Month?
Using the electricity consumption data above the estimated daily electricity consumption (kWh) can range from 2.9 kWh for the 24-inch and 12kWh for the 65-inch LED TV.
The estimates assume 5 hours of TV per day.
How Much Electricity a TV Uses when Off or Standby
When in standby mode, a modern LED TV can use as 1 watt of power or less.
The TV achieves this by mainly turning off the display or adjusting brightness which is the main contributor to a TV’s energy consumption.
Tips to Reduce a LED TV’s Electricity Consumption
The most convenient way to reduce the TV’s power consumption is to activate its energy-saving mode.
Check for this option usually under the power management section of the respective TV model’s user manual.
When it is activated, the TV enters power-saving mode and may:
- reducing brightness or power off depending on the functionality available in a particular TV model.
Some TVs have multiple modes of brightness low, medium, and normal, with the low mode saving the most power.
- or shutoff power after a user-specified period of inactivity, such as 30 min, 1 hour or more depending on TV functionality.
Though not as convenient, you can increase the savings further by switching off the TV at the outlet also.
The power savings can appear insignificant over a short time but over a long period can add up.
Related questions
How Long Can a Car Battery Run a TV?
A fully charged 65Ah battery in good condition can run a 40 watt TV for approximately 9.6 hours.
This assumes that the battery is only discharged to a maximum of 50% of its capacity.
The runtime of the TV can increase with a larger battery capacity (Ah) or with a TV that has a lower power consumption (watts).
Calculation:
- 50% of battery energy available for powering TV (recommended discharge level)= 50% x 65Ah x 12V = 384Wh.
Estimated runtime of the TV = available energy/ power consumption of Tv = 384/40 = 9.6 hours.
You may also be interested in: How to calculate battery capacity of an off-grid system
Final Word
Flat-screen LED TVs are generally energy-efficient.
Depending on the make, size, and user settings selected on the TV, a flat-screen LV can consume approximately 35 – 150 kWh annually for 24 and 65 inch TV respectively.
Over the course of a year, this can cost approximately USD 4 to $18 for a 24 and 65 inch TV respectively (Consult the energy guide for your TV for a more accurate value).
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