Televisions running costs

Reading the television ranking

Televisions are the only category here scored by a direct on-mode wattage figure rather than a capacity-normalized efficiency factor, and screen size is the single strongest predictor of that wattage across nearly every panel technology. A raw cheapest-to-run ranking will therefore fill up with small screens near the top almost by default; that is a fact about physics, not necessarily about which TV is the smarter buy for your room.

The efficiency ranking normalizes for screen size (per inch of diagonal), so a large but well-engineered set can still rank well there even if its raw annual cost looks high next to a tablet-sized screen. ENERGY STAR's on-mode figure is measured at a standard factory picture setting and a standard assumed number of viewing hours per day, both of which real households vary from meaningfully.

Across the 172 certified TVs we track, running cost ranges from $3 to $117 a year with a median of $35/yr; most of the 172 models we track cluster toward the cheap end of that range, with a smaller group of pricier models stretching the top up to $117/yr.

What to weigh when comparing models

If you compare across screen sizes, use the efficiency ranking, not the raw-cost one, since the raw list is really a screen-size list in disguise. Whatever set you land on, its "vivid" or maximum-brightness picture mode will very likely draw meaningfully more power than "standard" or an eco/calibrated mode, a lever entirely under your control that this published figure cannot capture.

This ranking also cannot tell you anything about picture quality, input lag, smart-platform performance, or long-term panel reliability; we track only the on-mode power draw ENERGY STAR measured at certification. Treat it as one input alongside reviews that actually evaluate picture and build quality, not a replacement for them. A TV left plugged in around the clock also draws a small standby wattage even while off, on top of the on-mode figure ranked here, worth factoring in if you leave a set connected to a soundbar or streaming box that never fully powers down.

How we score this class

Every figure here follows the same formula: each model's published on-mode wattage translated to annual kWh by ENERGY STAR, multiplied by the US average residential rate of $0.1856/kWh. Full methodology on how we score, or estimate your own set with the calculator.