Off-the-Grid: How Many Watts and Amps Does a TV Use - TV Wattage (2024)

TVs are not used anymore for just "watching a TV" - they are used for "watching TV," but also for media streaming, gaming, as communication devices, part of security systems, etc. - it is vital to know how many watts and energy in general they require.

Regardless of whether You are worried about your electric bill or you want to watch TV during power outages, we bring You the TV wattage comparison chart taking into account TV sizes and technologies.

Updated: September 14, 2023.

TV Types, Technologies, and Power Consumption

The most popular modern TVs are LED, LCD, and OLED (QLED) flat-screen TVs - they feature rather low power consumption, great contrast, broad color range, etc.

The following comparison chart lists some of the most popular TV sizes and TV technologies (even ancient ones):

Few Notes:

• these values are just general guidelines. In order to know the actual power consumption of your TV, check the label on the back of the TV that you have - that is the best and most accurate way of finding out how many watts your TV uses.
• old technologies like CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), Plasma, and similar consume much more power than LED, LCD, and OLED TVs, and if you have any of these, replace them with newer, energy-efficient models. And recycle them properly.

• actual power consumption can be significantly increased with various add-ons, like an external hard drive (use SSD instead of "classic" SATA hard drive), USB memory stick, enabled Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, networking over UTP connection, external speakers, etc. Even different TV models of the same technology and the same size, from the same brand, can differ in energy requirements significantly - technology advances rather quickly, and TVs from 5 years ago required more power just for "working," but they also had fewer add-ons.
• the standby power of modern TVs is in the range of 0.5 to 2 watts, practically negligible if the TV is used on a daily basis. If the TV is not going to be used for a longer period of time, unplug it from the power outlet, just in case.
• the number of TVs also plays an important role in determining the final energy bill and maximum power consumption, although if you have only LCD/OLED TVs, you should be more worried about your AC unit and not your TVs.

How Many Watts Does a 32-inch LED TV Use?

32-inch LED TVs are very popular, especially for children, guests, and dorm rooms. They are fairly cheap, lightweight, relatively compact, and easy to carry, even when going camping or fishing.

Their consumption may vary significantly even among the TVs of the same technology and brand:

• 32” LED: 30 – 55 watts, but generally around 40 watts,
• 32” OLED: around 55 - 60 watts,
• 32” LCD: 50 – 85 watts, but on average, around 65-70 watts.

For example, old 32” CRT TVs require up to 150-200 watts (even more if the screen brightness is increased), with an average consumption of around 170 watts.

However, these values significantly depend on the sound and light settings, networking, resolution, and similar.

Also, our Boat, Camping, RV and Household Appliances Wattage Charts article, 27" Television is rated at 500 watts - that is the so-called "Worst Case Scenario" for safety reasons.

How Much Does It Cost To Run 32" TVs

For calculating energy requirements, we will assume the following:

• 32" LED TV: 40W On, 1W Standby,
• 32" OLED TV: 55W On, 1W Standby,
• 32" LCD TV: 70W On, 1W Standby,
• 32" CRT TV: 170W, 2W Standby.

If the TV is On for 8 hours per day and in Standby mode for 16 hours per day, then:

• 32" LED TV: 40W * 8h + 16h * 1W = 336 Wh
• 32" OLED TV: 55W * 8h + 16h * 1W = 456 Wh
• 32" LCD TV: 70W * 8h + 16h * 1W = 576 Wh
• 32" CRT TV: 170W * 8h + 16h *2W = 1392 Wh

For a month, that would be:

• 32" LED TV: 336 Wh * 30d = 10.08 kWh
• 32" OLED TV: 456 Wh * 30d = 13.68 kWh
• 32" LCD TV: 576 Wh * 30d = 17.28 kWh
• 32" CRT TV: 1392 Wh * 30d = 41.76 kWh

If we assume the price of electric energy of 0.15 $US per kWh, then:

• 32" LED TV: 10.08 kWh * 0.15 $US/kWh = 1.512 $US per month
• 32" OLED TV: 13.68 kWh * 0.15 $US/kWh = 2.052 $US per month
• 32" LCD TV: 17.28 kWh * 0.15 $US/kWh = 2.592 $US per month
• 32" CRT TV: 41.76 kWh * 0.15 $US/kWh = 6.264 $US per month

And if we calculate the annual electric cost of running 32" TVs of various technologies, then:

• 32" LED TV: 1.512 $US * 12 = 18.144 $US
• 32" OLED TV: 2.052 $US * 12 = 24.624 $US
• 32" LCD TV: 2.592 $US * 12 = 31.104 $US
• 32" CRT TV: 6.264 $US * 12 = 75.168 $US

So, switching from a 32" CRT TV to a 32" LED TV can save ~57 $US per year.

Again, this depends on the individual TV model and turned-on features (WiFi, Bluetooth, wired networking, external HDD, external sound system, etc.), setting of sound and lighting, TV resolution, etc.

How Many Watts Does a 55-inch LED TV Use?

55-inch LED TVs are very popular models as the main TVs in many homes, with 60-inch and even larger models becoming more and more popular as well.

Again, their consumption may vary, but generally:

• 55" LED: 60 - 90 watts, on average 80 watts,
• 55" OLED: 90 - 120 watts, on average 105-110 watts.

For short, in order to find out the maximum power consumption of your TV, check the label on the back of the TV.

How to Power TV in an Emergency?

In the case of emergency, LED, LCD, and OLED TVs may be powered using power generators, power stations, and using inverter/deep cycle battery combinations.

Power Generators

Power generators burn chemical fuel (gas, diesel, propane gas, natural gas, etc.) and generate electric power. 1000-2000 watts power generators are compact, lightweight, and portable units that MUST operate outside since they emit fumes containing dangerous CO₂ and poisonous CO.

But, most 2000W power generators may power 100W TV sets for 10+ hours easily while powering a few more devices alongside, making them almost ideal for outdoor activities like tailgating, camping, and similar.

However, when using power generators, one must opt for units with very low Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) levels of ≤3% - such units are more or less safe for sensitive electronics, TVs included.

One of the most popular and best power generators in the 2000W class for tailgating, camping, and similar outdoor activities is WEN 56235i Super Quiet 2350-Watt Portable Inverter Generator.

WEN 56235i portable inverter generator features 1900 Running Watts and 2350 Starting Watts, can operate up to 10.5 hours @25% load (~475W) on one full fuel tank (gasoline, 1 gallon), and comes with:

• AC: 15A 120V NEMA 5-20R Duplex,
• DC: 12V 8.3A, USB 5V (2.1A, 1A).

Also, its noise levels are just 51 dB @25% load, making it one of the quietest units in this class.

The unit is very compact, featuring physical dimensions of 17.3 x 11.5 x 17.7 inches (~44 x 29.2 x 45 cm), and it weighs 39 pounds (~17.7 kg) dry.

If You are looking for an affordable portable inverter power generator in the 2000W class, consider this unit. For more reviews and recommendations, feel free to check the WEN 56235i Super Quiet 2350-Watt Portable Inverter Generator Amazon link (link opens in the new window).

Power Stations/Solar Generators

Power stations/solar generators feature built-in lithium-ion batteries and may be used indoors safely.

Also, they are practically maintenance-free units, requiring the users just to charge them regularly. On the other hand, energy stored in the onboard batteries is rather limited when compared with the chemical energy of fuels like gas, diesel, propane, and similar.

For example, one of the most popular portable power stations is Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 1000, which is able to store 1002 Wh of energy, and with an energy efficiency of 85%, it is able to provide 100W for 8+ hours.

Jackery Explorer 1000 features 8 (eight) outlets, including:

• AC: 3x110V, 1000W (2000W peak),
• DC: 1x USB-A, 1x USB-A Quick Charge 3.0, 2x USB-C, 1x 12V 10A.

The unit is rather compact with physical dimensions of 13.1 x 9.2 x 11.1 inches (~33.3 x 23.4 x 28.2 cm), and it weighs 22 pounds (~10 kg).

Jackery Explorer 1000 can be easily recharged using a pair of Jackery SolarSaga 100W Portable Solar Panels (Amazon link, link opens in the new window), which must be purchased separately. But, a pair of such solar panels can recharge the Jacker Explorer 1000 or any similar solar generator/power station in 6-8 hours, depending on the local conditions.

Also, it can be recharged via a wall charger that may be plugged even into a power generator with low THD levels.

When compared with power generators of similar output, the Jackery Explorer 1000 power station is virtually silent, with noise levels of only 46.5 dB - the unit can be used even at home during blackouts and emergencies, especially when combined with solar panels.

For more reviews and recommendations, feel free to check the Jackery Portable Power Station Explorer 1000 Amazon link (the link opens in the new window).

Power Inverters

Power inverters connected to deep-cycle batteries may provide energy for TV sets (and other devices) for longer periods of time and may operate indoors.

If deep-cycle batteries are not available, one may use car batteries instead, but be very careful not to discharge it below, for example, 50% - deep discharge applications may shorten the operating life of starting/cranking batteries significantly and may prevent the battery from cranking the engine when semi-discharged.

With efficiencies around 85-90%, good 300-500W power inverters with pure sine wave output may power 100W TV sets easily.

If you have, for example, a 100Ah 12V deep cycle battery (battery group 31 or perhaps battery group 27), such a battery may provide power for such a TV set for at least 10 hours.

Note: when calculating how much a deep cycle battery may power a power inverter, always check the battery's constant power discharge chart. For example, a very popular deep-cycle WindyNation BAT-NSAP12-100 battery may provide 118.8 watts of power for 10h at 77°F (25°C) down to 10.8 volts.

Thanks to advances in technology, deep-cycle lithium batteries are more and more popular and affordable.

For example, Li Time 12V 100Ah Lithium Iron Phosphate Deep Cycle Battery (Amazon link, opens in the new window) is able to provide 100A constantly for almost an hour and can power a pure sine wave power inverter with 85% energy efficiency with 100W output up to 10 hours.

Also, it supports up to 4000 charging/discharging cycles down to 100% DoD, 6000 cycles down to 80% DoD, and 15000(!) cycles down to 60% DoD, which is at least 10x better than the best deep cycle AGM batteries.

And the battery weighs only 24.2 pounds (~11 kg). On the other hand, lithium batteries must be recharged using dedicated lithium battery chargers/controllers or advanced battery/chargers that feature dedicated lithium battery charging mode(s).

Long Story Short: If You wonder how many watts a flat-screen TV uses, just check the label at the back of your TV for the exact value, or use our chart for general value.

Regardless if you are worried about your electric energy bill or you want/need to power your TV during a power outage, having a newer TV may help significantly - if you still have a plasma or even CRT TV, recycle it and get a new, much more energy-efficient LED flat-screen TV.