How much does it cost to run a 55-inch OLED TV? (2026 price cap)

Typical rating and how we worked this out

This page uses a typical rating of 110W for a 55-inch OLED TV; published figures for this appliance range from 90W to 150W. OLED panels light each pixel individually rather than using a backlight, giving excellent contrast, but independent measurements show a 55-inch OLED typically draws more power than an LED set of the same size — commonly 90–150W depending on content and brightness. The running cost follows the same formula used across this site: watts ÷ 1,000 × hours × unit rate. Typical use is modelled as 5 hours of viewing a day, which is how the per-day, per-week and per-year figures above were calculated — see the cost-to-run calculator to change the wattage, hours or region yourself.

Rate used: Ofgem price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026, GB average electricity — 26.32p/kWh (excl. VAT, removed 1 Oct 2026–31 Mar 2027).

Cost by region

Same appliance, same use — ranked most to least expensive by region under the price cap:

East Midlands is cheapest at £50.91 a year; Merseyside and Northern Wales is most expensive at £55.93 a year — a gap of £5.02 for identical use.

How a 55-inch OLED TV compares with similar appliances

Ranked by typical annual cost in entertainment & office, GB average:

• 55-inch OLED TV — £52.84 a year (this page)
• 65-inch OLED TV — £67.25 a year
• desktop PC — £67.25 a year
• games console (PlayStation 5-class) — £38.43 a year
• 55-inch LED TV — £36.03 a year
• games console (Xbox Series X-class) — £34.58 a year

Three practical ways to cut the cost

1. Use an SDR-optimised or filmmaker picture mode for everyday viewing rather than the brightest HDR-tuned mode
2. Enable any automatic brightness limiter — OLED power draw rises sharply with very bright, high-contrast scenes
3. Turn off at the plug when away for more than a day or two

FAQs

How much does it cost to run a 55-inch OLED TV for an hour?

2.9p at the GB-average rate (26.32p/kWh, 110W). One typical use — 5 hours of viewing a day — costs closer to 14p.

How much does a 55-inch OLED TV cost to run per year?

Around £52.84 a year at the GB-average rate, assuming 5 hours of viewing a day — about £1.02 a week.

Which UK region is cheapest to run a 55-inch OLED TV in?

East Midlands, at £50.91 a year, against £55.93 in Merseyside and Northern Wales — £5.02 apart for identical use, purely from the regional rate.

Does the exact wattage of my 55-inch OLED TV change the cost much?

Yes — ratings range 90W–150W, so the top of that range costs about 1.7x the bottom. This page uses 110W; check your own rating plate.

Does the October 2026 price cap affect this figure?

Yes — figures use the Ofgem cap for 1 October to 31 December 2026. Electricity excludes VAT (removed 1 Oct 2026–31 Mar 2027); gas includes 5%. See the price cap page for the full breakdown.

Sources

• RTINGS.com — LED and OLED TV power consumption (independently measured) — wattage and usage figures for this appliance.
• Ofgem — Energy price cap unit rates and standing charges (regional tables, read 12 September 2026).

Related

• Cost-to-run calculator and full A–Z — check any appliance or enter a custom wattage.
• Energy price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026 — every region, every payment method.
• Back-billing calculator — if a bill for this or any appliance looks like it covers too many months.
• Free bill audit — if your overall energy costs look high regardless of any one appliance.