Are you looking to upgrade to a more energy efficient TV?
You’re not alone. I’ve moved house recently and have been looking to update my old LG TV to an energy efficient model. My LG has been great but it’s about 10 years old now, so the time is right.
This blog post is a result of my research. This guide will explore the most energy efficient TVs on the UK market. At the end we’ll answer a few FAQs on energy efficient TVs.
- Why buy an energy efficient TV?
- Do TVs use a lot of electricity?
- How much electricity does a TV use?
- 8 Most Energy Efficient TVs 2023
- 1. Samsung QE Series 55″ Smart 4K Ultra HD Neo QLED TV
- 2. LG OLED 65″ Smart 4K Ultra HD OLED TV
- 3. TCL 6 Series 65″ Smart 4K Ultra HD HDR LED TV
- 4. Panasonic TX Series 55″ Smart 4K Ultra HD HDR LED TV
- 5. Toshiba Smart 4K Ultra HD HDR LED TV
- 6. JVC LT-55 Fire TV Smart 4K Ultra HD HDR LED TV
- 7. Hisense LED 55″ Smart 4K Ultra HD TV
- 8. Philips 58″ Smart Ambilight 4K Ultra HD TV
- Work out the cost of running a TV
- How energy efficient TVs save money
- TV Energy Rating Labels
- Why do TVs have low energy ratings?
Why buy an energy efficient TV?
Energy efficient TVs are a brilliant shout to provide all your entertainment, whilst saving on your energy use.
In 2023 the UK population spends around 5 hours every day watching TV. This may be active watching or just having the TV on for a bit of background noise. Either way, you’re using electricity.
Going for a more energy efficient television equipped with the latest technology is a win-win for you and your electricity use.
Do TVs use a lot of electricity?
TVs don’t use a massive amount of energy compared to other products. Roughly, we’re talking 4% of your households total energy use.
Appliances that use more energy than your TV include tumble dryers, electric fires and electric ovens.
Appliances that use less energy than your TV include energy efficient kettles and microwaves.
Roughly on par with your TV is the energy use of a fridge freezer and dishwasher.
All of the above depends on how much you actually use the appliances and what kind of energy consuming models you have.
How much electricity does a TV use?
Before we get into the best models, how much energy does a TV use anyway?
How much electricity a TV uses depends on a number of factors. The main factors include:
- TV wattage – This is how much electricity is required to power it. This can range from 50W to 300W
- Size – Bigger screens will use more electricity
- Screen type – Most TVs sold in 2023 are either OLED, QLED, LED or LCD.
- Resolution – The amount of energy a TV uses increases with resolution. Televisions equipped with 4K, 8K, Full HD, Ultra HD and the like will use more energy. You also have HDR (High Dynamic Range) and SDR (Standard Dynamic Range).
- On time – How long it’s used for per day (5 hours is the UK average)
- Smart tech – automatic power off, sleep mode, local dimming
According to ecocostsavings.com, the average TV will use 106kWh of electricity per year.
With the price per kilowatt (kW) currently at 0.34p, this energy use would cost you just over £34 per year. That’s for the average TV.
If you have a larger, high resolution TV this will cost you more.
For example, a 55″ Ultra HD TV with HDR may cost you around £68 per year to power.
Taking it up further, a 75″ 8K HDR TV could cost you £200 a year to use.
Interesting to note, a TV using HDR, instead of SDR, requires around twice the amount of electricity.
8 Most Energy Efficient TVs 2023
So, here’s a list of the best energy efficient TVs in the UK this year.
1. Samsung QE Series 55″ Smart 4K Ultra HD Neo QLED TV
With its Neo Quantum Processor, this 4k Smart TV will give you an unbelievably good picture whilst helping to save energy through clever technology.
It also has a feature called Ambient Mode. This allows the TV to blend into the background when not in use, which helps to reduce its energy consumption.
This TV runs at 0.12kWh on HDR or 0.06kWh on SDR. In costs this works out as 4p (HDR) or 2p (SDR) per hour.
Energy Rating: F
Price: From £849
2. LG OLED 65″ Smart 4K Ultra HD OLED TV
The LG OLED Smart OLED TV is a superb TV that packs a good energy efficient rating.
The OLED technology means it uses self-lit pixels that can turn off and on individually. This helps to achieve true black levels. It’s technology makes it a more energy efficient TV compared to traditional LED TVs. You can also customise your energy saving preferences to reduce power consumption.
This LG TV runs at 0.193kWh on HDR or 0.097kWh on SDR. In costs this works out as 6.5p (HDR) or 3p (SDR) per hour.
Energy Rating: F
Price: From £1,299
3. TCL 6 Series 65″ Smart 4K Ultra HD HDR LED TV
The TCL 4K TV is one of the most energy efficient models on the market!
It’s also one of the most affordable but comes with great reviews. With 4K Ultra HD, you know the picture is going to be spot on.
This LG TV runs at 0.12kWh on HDR or 0.06kWh on SDR. In costs this works out as 4p (HDR) or 2p (SDR) per hour.
Energy Rating: D
Price: From £398
4. Panasonic TX Series 55″ Smart 4K Ultra HD HDR LED TV
The Panasonic TX Series Ultra HD 4K TV is a top choice that delivers a combination of crystal clear picture, smart features and a good energy efficiency rating.
Being an LED TV, it’s directly lit by efficient bulbs.
This Panasonic TX TV is powered to the tune of 0.123kWh on HDR or 0.064kWh on SDR. In costs this works out as 4p (HDR) or 2p (SDR) per hour.
Energy Rating: E
Price: From £529
Buy now: Currys
5. Toshiba Smart 4K Ultra HD HDR LED TV
The TOSHIBA Ultra HD QLED TV is a high-quality model with a very good energy efficient rating compared to the competition.
Its QLED technology uses a quantum dot film that enhances the colour and brightness. The result is a more energy efficient display compared to traditional LCD TVs.
This Toshiba TV power demand is 0.123kWh on HDR (G rating) or 0.064kWh on SDR (E rating). In costs this works out as 4p (HDR) or 2p (SDR) per hour.
Energy Rating: E
Price: From £397
6. JVC LT-55 Fire TV Smart 4K Ultra HD HDR LED TV
The JVC LT-55 is an affordable, high-quality television. With Ultra HD the picture is brilliant.
This JVC model has LED direct lit screen technology and packs plenty of smart features, including a voice activated remote and link up with Alexa.
The power demand of the JVC LT-55 is 0.123kWh on HDR or 0.077kWh on SDR. In costs this works out as 4p (HDR) or 2.6p (SDR) per hour.
Energy Rating: F
Price: From £298
Buy now: Currys
7. Hisense LED 55″ Smart 4K Ultra HD TV
The Hisense Ultra HD 4K Smart TV comes with all the mod cons, as well as one of the better energy efficiency ratings on HDR.
It is a LED direct lit screen type with built in Wifi and ALLM Game Mode for the gamers out there.
The power demand of the JVC LT-55 is 0.11kWh on HDR or 0.077kWh on SDR. In costs this works out as 4p (HDR) or 2.6p (SDR) per hour.
Energy Rating: F
Price: From £379
8. Philips 58″ Smart Ambilight 4K Ultra HD TV
The Philips Ambilight is an LED Smart TV that comes built for immersive entertainment and top quality viewing.
This model is a super slim version, so will happily fit in most spaces.
The Philips Ambilight uses 0.141kWh on HDR (G rated) or 0.078kWh on SDR (F rated). In costs this works out as 5p (HDR) or 2.6p (SDR) per hour.
Energy Rating: F
Price: From £699
Work out the cost of running a TV
To work out the electricity cost of any TV all you need is the wattage, the price of electricity you pay and how many hours you watch TV for.
Just follow these steps. I’ll use a TV with a power rating of 80W as an example.
- Divide wattage by 1000 to get the kW per hour rating – For example, 80W / 1,000 = 0.08kWh
- Multiple kWh by your electricity unit rate – The rate I currently pay for electricity is 0.34p per kWh, so 0.08kWh x 0.34p = 0.0272.
- Multiple this by 100 to get per hour cost in pence – 0.027 x 100 = 2.72p
- Multiple cost per hour by how many hours you watch TV a day – 2.72p x 4 hours = 10.88p per day
- With the cost per day you can get estimates for weekly, monthly and annual costs – For example, weekly costs in my example would be 76p, monthly costs would be £3.26 and annual cost would be £39.71.
How energy efficient TVs save money
The most energy efficient TVs on the market now use LED technology.
Just like your lightbulbs, LEDs are a much more efficient way of providing light. Plasma TVs (remember them) and LCDs are lit up using different, more energy intensive technology. This is why they are now being phased out to be replaced with LED, QLED and OLED.
Energy efficient TVs use less power than traditional TVs, which means they cost less to operate on a pixel by pixel basis.
Even though some more eco friendly TVs will cost more to run per year, they will actually use less watts per inch. The increase in costs come from the fact that the TVs are larger.
TV Energy Rating Labels
As of March 2021, there’s a new Energy Rating label system in operation throughout the UK and EU.
Instead of A+++ to D, it’s now a more easy to understand A-G rating. The closer the rating is to A, the more energy efficient the appliance is.
Different appliances have a different energy rating system. For example, energy efficient fridge freezers are not judged on the same system as eco dishwashers and washing machines.
Why do TVs have low energy ratings?
Most TVs on the UK market now have an energy rating of E or lower.
Many TVs have been downgraded in energy rating since the change in labelling system. Previously, a TV using 110W of power could be classed as A. But now, the same TV would be G.
To get a 55″ TV to the new A standard, it would have to consume less than 30W of electricity.
This leaves TV manufacturers plenty of room for improvement.
This is because a TVs energy rating is based on energy use per inch of the display screen rather than total energy consumption.
This makes it possible to compare TV energy efficiency of small and large screen sizes.
All new TVs sold on the market will have an Energy Rating label so you can check this out.
Before you go…
As well as your TV, it’s a wise choice to invest in other energy efficient appliances when the time is right.
Everyday items such as energy efficient kettles are good, but you might want to invest in instant hot water taps that come with good efficiency ratings.
There are lots of other appliances you can look into when it comes to running a more sustainable kitchen.
Join my Eco Life newsletter below for researched blog posts straight to your inbox.
Related Articles:
- 5 Most Energy Efficient Dishwashers [How Much Does a Dishwasher Cost to Run 2022?]
- Your Guide To Energy Efficient Fridge Freezers [Plus Best Models 2022]
- How Much Energy Does a Tumble Dryer Use in 2022?
I’m the Creator and Editor of Tiny Eco Home Life. I write and publish information about more sustainable, environmentally friendly living in and around the home. Alongside this website, I love spending time in the natural world, living a simple life and spending time with my young family (Murphy the dog!) I round up my thoughts and recent blogs on the Eco Life Newsletter.
