How is the running cost calculated?

Watts ÷ 1,000 × the electricity rate gives cost per hour: $0.04 at 110 W on the NSW rate; the yearly figure uses 3.5 h/day, 365 days a year at 110 W.

How much does it cost to run a TV (55–65" LED/OLED)? (2026–27)

At typical draw · official state tariffs

$0.03–$0.05 per hour at 110 W

Typical household use (3.5 h/day, 365 days a year at 110 W) runs $39–$59 a year depending on your state's tariff.

Wattage basis: Normal (SDR) viewing draw: 55" LED ~70–120 W, OLED ~90–150 W; 65" OLED on bright/HDR content reaches ~200 W.

TV running cost by state and model, at 3.5 h a day for 365 days a year (2026–27 reference usage rates)
State	Model	Per hour	Per day	Per month	Per year
New South Wales33.1c/kWh · Ausgrid	Efficient (60 W)	$0.02	$0.07	$2.12	$25
	Typical (110 W)	$0.04	$0.13	$3.88	$47
	High (200 W)	$0.07	$0.23	$7.05	$85
Victoria27.5c/kWh · Jemena	Efficient (60 W)	$0.02	$0.06	$1.75	$21
	Typical (110 W)	$0.03	$0.11	$3.22	$39
	High (200 W)	$0.05	$0.19	$5.85	$70
Queensland28.0c/kWh · Energex	Efficient (60 W)	$0.02	$0.06	$1.79	$21
	Typical (110 W)	$0.03	$0.11	$3.27	$39
	High (200 W)	$0.06	$0.20	$5.95	$71
South Australia41.9c/kWh · SA Power Networks	Efficient (60 W)	$0.03	$0.09	$2.68	$32
	Typical (110 W)	$0.05	$0.16	$4.91	$59
	High (200 W)	$0.08	$0.29	$8.92	$107
Western Australia33.3c/kWh · Western Power (SWIS)	Efficient (60 W)	$0.02	$0.07	$2.12	$25
	Typical (110 W)	$0.04	$0.13	$3.89	$47
	High (200 W)	$0.07	$0.23	$7.08	$85
Tasmania28.0c/kWh · TasNetworks	Efficient (60 W)	$0.02	$0.06	$1.78	$21
	Typical (110 W)	$0.03	$0.11	$3.27	$39
	High (200 W)	$0.06	$0.20	$5.95	$71
Australian Capital Territory37.0c/kWh · Evoenergy	Efficient (60 W)	$0.02	$0.08	$2.36	$28
	Typical (110 W)	$0.04	$0.14	$4.33	$52
	High (200 W)	$0.07	$0.26	$7.86	$94
Northern Territory31.7c/kWh · Power and Water	Efficient (60 W)	$0.02	$0.07	$2.02	$24
	Typical (110 W)	$0.03	$0.12	$3.71	$45
	High (200 W)	$0.06	$0.22	$6.74	$81

Where a TV costs more

South Australia is the dearest state to run one: $0.05 an hour at 110 W on its 41.9c/kWh rate, against $0.03 in Victoria. Over a year of typical use that gap is $20 (52.6% more).
By yearly running cost at typical use it ranks 22nd of the 26 appliances costed on this site (1st costs the most): $47 a year at the NSW rate.
An efficient 60 W model costs $27 a year less than a typical 110 W one in SA at 3.5 hours a day for 365 days ($18 less in VIC); a high-draw 200 W model uses 3.3 times the power of the efficient one.
At the 1 July 2026 price reset, typical-use cost fell $3 in VIC (Jemena usage rate 29.7c to 27.5c/kWh) and rose $1 in WA (Western Power (SWIS) usage rate 32.4c to 33.3c/kWh).

Typical household use per year, cheapest state first (3.5 h/day, 365 days a year at 110 W)
Rank	State	Usage rate	Typical year	Above the cheapest
1	Victoria	27.5c	$39	—
2	Tasmania	28.0c	$39	+$1
3	Queensland	28.0c	$39	+$1
4	Northern Territory	31.7c	$45	+$6
5	New South Wales	33.1c	$47	+$8
6	Western Australia	33.3c	$47	+$8
7	Australian Capital Territory	37.0c	$52	+$13
8	South Australia	41.9c	$59	+$20

Rates by state (each state's capital-city network): NSW: AER Default Market Offer 2026–27 (DMO 8); VIC: ESC Victorian Default Offer 2026–27; QLD: AER Default Market Offer 2026–27 (DMO 8); SA: AER Default Market Offer 2026–27 (DMO 8); WA: WA Government Standard Electricity Prices 2026–27 (Synergy Home Plan A1); TAS: OTTER-approved Aurora Energy Standing Offer 2026–27 (approved 25 June 2026) — Tariff 31; ACT: ICRC retail electricity price recalibration 2026–27 (ActewAGL standing offer); NT: NT Electricity Pricing Order 2026–27 (Jacana Energy standard residential). All effective 1 July 2026.

Appliance running-cost calculator

NSW

State

Power draw (watts)

TV: 60–200 W typical range.

Hours per day

Days per year

AU households average 3–4 h viewing a day.

$0.04 per hour · $47/year at your settings

Per day (3.5 h): $0.13
Per month: $3.88
Per year (365 days): $46.57

Tariff: 33.1c/kWh — AER Default Market Offer 2026–27 (DMO 8) for the Ausgrid network, effective 1 July 2026. Wattage basis: Watts to Volts — TV power measurements (incl. EcoFlow AU measured values). Full tv costs in NSW →

Cutting the cost

Turn the backlight or brightness down from the showroom-bright default; it's the biggest single draw on a screen, and most rooms don't need it that high. Switch to the eco or home picture mode, enable the ambient-light sensor if there is one, and turn the set off at the wall rather than leaving it on standby for long stretches. Bigger, brighter panels naturally cost more to run.

Frequently asked questions

How is the running cost calculated?: Watts ÷ 1,000 × the electricity rate = cost per hour. A TV drawing 110 W on NSW's 33.1c/kWh rate costs $0.04 an hour; the calculator below lets you change every input.
Does a higher star rating cut the cost?: Yes. The star rating compresses the power draw or energy per use, which scales these figures directly. The low–high band in the table (60–200 W) roughly spans efficient to inefficient models.

Sources — figures current as at 17 July 2026.

Costs use each state's representative-zone reference usage rate, effective 1 July 2026. AU households average 3–4 h viewing a day.

How much does it cost to run a TV (55–65" LED/OLED)? (2026–27)

Where a TV costs more

Appliance running-cost calculator

Cutting the cost

Frequently asked questions

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