Entertainment · North Carolina
How Much Does It Cost to Run a TV in North Carolina?
The short answer
A typical 100W TV costs about $0.02 per hour to run in North Carolina, or $2.31 a month at 5 hours a day.
The estimate uses North Carolina’s average residential electricity price of 15.2¢/kWh from EIA (July 2026) — 17% below the national average.
Source: U.S. EIA, July 2026 data · Updated
TV cost by daily use in North Carolina
| Daily use | kWh/month | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 hour/day | 3.0 | $0.02 | $0.46 | $5.53 |
| 2 hours/day | 6.1 | $0.03 | $0.92 | $11.07 |
| 4 hours/day | 12.2 | $0.06 | $1.84 | $22.13 |
| 8 hours/day | 24.3 | $0.12 | $3.69 | $44.27 |
| 12 hours/day | 36.5 | $0.18 | $5.53 | $66.40 |
| 24 hours/day | 73.0 | $0.36 | $11.07 | $133 |
North Carolina vs other states
At typical use, a TV costs $27.67 a year in North Carolina — $59.93 less than in Hawaii and $4.45 more than in Louisiana.
North Carolina has the 16th-cheapest residential electricity of the 50 states and DC. North Carolina electricity rates · all states ranked
Electricity price trend in North Carolina
15.2¢/kWh in July 2026 — ▲ +13.4% 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 North Carolina?
Running a 100W TV for 24 hours uses about 2.40 kWh, which costs about $0.36 at North Carolina’s average rate of 15.2¢/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 North Carolina that costs $2.31.
Is it expensive to run a TV in North Carolina?
North Carolina has the 16th-cheapest residential electricity of the 50 states and DC at 15.2¢/kWh — cheaper than most. Running a TV here costs about $27.67 a year at typical use, compared with $33.42 at the national average rate.
What is the electricity rate in North Carolina right now?
The average residential electricity rate in North Carolina was 15.2¢ per kWh in July 2026, according to the latest EIA data — up 13.4% 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 North Carolina
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).