Entertainment · Illinois
How Much Does It Cost to Run a TV in Illinois?
The short answer
A typical 100W TV costs about $0.02 per hour to run in Illinois, or $2.92 a month at 5 hours a day.
That’s based on Illinois’s average residential rate of 19.2¢/kWh (EIA, July 2026), 5% above the US average.
Source: U.S. EIA, July 2026 data · Updated
TV cost by daily use in Illinois
| Daily use | kWh/month | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 hour/day | 3.0 | $0.02 | $0.58 | $7.02 |
| 2 hours/day | 6.1 | $0.04 | $1.17 | $14.03 |
| 4 hours/day | 12.2 | $0.08 | $2.34 | $28.06 |
| 8 hours/day | 24.3 | $0.15 | $4.68 | $56.12 |
| 12 hours/day | 36.5 | $0.23 | $7.02 | $84.18 |
| 24 hours/day | 73.0 | $0.46 | $14.03 | $168 |
Illinois vs other states
At typical use, a TV costs $35.08 a year in Illinois — $52.52 less than in Hawaii and $11.86 more than in Louisiana.
Illinois has the 17th-most-expensive residential electricity of the 50 states and DC. Illinois electricity rates · all states ranked
Electricity price trend in Illinois
19.2¢/kWh in July 2026 — ▲ +11.6% 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 Illinois?
Running a 100W TV for 24 hours uses about 2.40 kWh, which costs about $0.46 at Illinois’s average rate of 19.2¢/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 Illinois that costs $2.92.
Is it expensive to run a TV in Illinois?
Illinois has the 17th-most-expensive residential electricity of the 50 states and DC at 19.2¢/kWh — pricier than most. Running a TV here costs about $35.08 a year at typical use, compared with $33.42 at the national average rate.
What is the electricity rate in Illinois right now?
The average residential electricity rate in Illinois was 19.2¢ per kWh in July 2026, according to the latest EIA data — up 11.6% 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
Other appliances in Illinois
Cheapest and priciest states
Sources & method
- Electricity rates: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly — average residential retail price, July 2026 (latest available). Retrieved .
- CO₂: EIA State Electricity Profiles, 2024 emissions rate of in-state power generation.
- Default usage for TV: 5 hours a day. Typical power 100W.
- Formulas, duty cycles and limitations: methodology. Data download: open data (CC BY 4.0).