How Many Watts Does a TV Use? Watts by Screen Size, Amps, and Cost

Most modern TVs use about 30 to 190 watts while on, depending on screen size. A typical 55-inch TV draws about 96 watts and a 65-inch about 118 watts, based on ENERGY STAR certified models. That is about 1 amp or less at 120 volts for most sets, which makes a TV one of the easiest things to run on a power station, a small battery, or a generator.

TV watts by screen size (real data)

These figures come from the ENERGY STAR list of certified TVs (170 models, mostly LG, Samsung, Sansui, and Philips, certified from 2022 to 2026):

Source: ENERGY STAR Certified Televisions data set, on-mode power and reported annual energy use. The annual figures work out to about 5 hours of viewing a day. Standby power on these models is under 1 watt.

These are efficient sets. ENERGY STAR certified TVs are the more efficient ones on the market, and they are measured at default picture settings. Bright HDR content, high brightness, and large premium sets can draw more. Manufacturers also list a maximum: Samsung's spec sheet for its TU8000 series rates the 65-inch at 116 W typical and 195 W max.

Find your own number: check the label on the back of the TV or the specs page for your model. Look for "Power Consumption (Typical)" and "(Max)". Size your backup power for the max number.

How many amps does a TV use?

Divide watts by 120. A 65-inch TV at 118 W draws about 1 amp, and even at a 195 W maximum it draws about 1.6 amps. An 85-inch at 185 W is about 1.5 amps. Any household outlet handles that easily.

How much electricity does a TV use per day?

Watts x hours / 1,000 = kWh per day. A 65-inch TV at 118 W watched for 5 hours uses about 0.59 kWh, roughly 10 cents at 17 cents per kWh. A full year at that pace is about 216 kWh, or around $37.

How long will a power station run a TV?

Here is run time for a typical 65-inch TV at 118 W, with nothing else plugged in:

Hours = capacity x 0.9 / 118 W. Capacity and output are from each product page. A 32-inch TV at 31 W runs about four times longer. Add your Wi-Fi router, streaming box, or soundbar to the watts if they are plugged in too. Browse all portable power stations.

Can you run a TV on solar?

Yes. At 0.59 kWh a day for a 65-inch TV, about 175 watts of solar covers it at 4.5 peak sun hours (590 Wh / (4.5 x 0.75)). The Explorer 1000 v2 is available with a SolarSaga 200W panel from $699, which covers a TV and a few small devices on a sunny day.

Can a generator run a TV?

Easily, since a TV draws so little. The bigger question is power quality: TVs and streaming boxes are electronics, so an inverter generator or a power station is the gentler choice. See inverter generator vs regular generator. For the whole house during an outage, see How Many Watts Does a House Use? and What Size Portable Power Station Do I Need?

Need help sizing? Call 1-888-855-7286. Tell us your TV size and what else you want to run, and we will match you to a power station.

TV wattage FAQ

How many watts does a TV use? About 30 to 190 watts for modern ENERGY STAR certified TVs from 32 to 85 inches. A typical 55-inch uses about 96 W and a 65-inch about 118 W.

How many watts does a 65-inch TV use? About 85 to 135 W across certified models, with a median of 118 W. Some models list a higher max, such as 195 W for Samsung's 65-inch TU8000.

How many amps does a TV use? About 1 amp or less at 120V for most sets up to 65 inches, and about 1.5 amps for an 85-inch.

How much does it cost to run a TV? About 10 cents a day for a 65-inch TV watched 5 hours, at 17 cents per kWh.

Does a TV use power when it is off? A little. Standby power on ENERGY STAR certified TVs is under 1 watt.

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