U.S. residential electricity EIA data: July 2026 US average 18.3¢/kWh Updated
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Entertainment · California

How Much Does It Cost to Run a TV in California?

The short answer

A typical 100W TV costs about $0.03 per hour to run in California, or $5.11 a month at 5 hours a day.

That’s based on California’s average residential rate of 33.6¢/kWh (EIA, July 2026), 84% above the US average.

Source: U.S. EIA, July 2026 data · Updated

TV cost by daily use in California

Cost at 33.6¢/kWh, the California average (EIA, Jul 2026)
Daily usekWh/monthPer dayPer monthPer year
1 hour/day 3.0 $0.03 $1.02 $12.27
2 hours/day 6.1 $0.07 $2.04 $24.54
4 hours/day 12.2 $0.13 $4.09 $49.07
8 hours/day 24.3 $0.27 $8.18 $98.14
12 hours/day 36.5 $0.40 $12.27 $147
24 hours/day 73.0 $0.81 $24.54 $294

California vs other states

At typical use, a TV costs $61.34 a year in California — $26.26 less than in Hawaii and $38.12 more than in Louisiana.

California has the 2nd-most-expensive residential electricity of the 50 states and DC. electricity prices in California · all states ranked

Electricity price trend in California

33.6¢/kWh in July 2026 — ▲ +2.9% from a year earlier.

How to lower the cost of running a TV

TV power use depends mostly on screen size and brightness. A 50–55 inch LED TV typically draws about 70–100W, while large 75-inch-plus and HDR content at full brightness can exceed 200W. OLED TVs vary with what's on screen. Standby power on modern sets is under a watt. The default here assumes 5 hours of viewing a day.

  • Use the energy-saving or auto-brightness picture mode.
  • Turn off quick-start or instant-on features if you don't need them.
  • Set a sleep timer so the TV isn't left on overnight.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to run a TV for 24 hours in California?

Running a 100W TV for 24 hours uses about 2.40 kWh, which costs about $0.81 at California’s average rate of 33.6¢/kWh.

How many kWh does a TV use per month?

At 5 hours a day, a typical TV uses about 15.2 kWh a month. In California that costs $5.11.

Is it expensive to run a TV in California?

California has the 2nd-most-expensive residential electricity of the 50 states and DC at 33.6¢/kWh — one of the most expensive. Running a TV here costs about $61.34 a year at typical use, compared with $33.42 at the national average rate.

What is the electricity rate in California right now?

The average residential electricity rate in California was 33.6¢ per kWh in July 2026, according to the latest EIA data — up 2.9% from a year earlier.

How much does it cost to leave a TV on all day?

A 100W TV left on for 24 hours uses 2.4 kWh — at the US average rate that's roughly 40–45 cents a day.

TV costs in nearby states

Cheapest and priciest states

Sources & method